A Dream That I Wish Was Reality
by HugzForFree
Summary: Quinn's daughter makes a best friend on her first day of kindergarten. Her new best friend's mom and Quinn form a friendship that changes both of their lives. Quinntana endgame...AU
1. Chapter 1

**SO I'M SERIOUSLY SHIPPING QUINNTANA AND YOU GUYS ARE THE BENEFACTORS OF THAT, PLEASE READ, ENJOY, AND REVIEW...**

**BTW I MODELED MISS YOUNG AFTER LEILA ARCIERI (Google her, for real...she's crazy hot)**

Dropping her five year old daughter Beth off to her first day of kindergarten was nerve-wracking to say the least. Beth was sitting in her booster seat playing on her leap frog without care in the world, while her mother was freaking out. She wanted everything to go perfectly for her only child. Quinn was a single mother, not by choice. The only choice she made was to remain single and focus solely on being the best mother she could be. Her high school sweetheart and husband died in the line of duty when Beth was just two. She worried herself sick every time Noah left for a shift, and the worry wouldn't subside until the next time she'd see him. One evening her doorbell rung and behind it was her husband's partner and another police officer, offering her their condolences. Quinn, who's an exceptionally talented artist, drew Beth a picture of earth and heaven and attempted to explain to her two year old why daddy wasn't ever coming home.

As she watched her daughter in the rearview mirror, she thought of Noah and yet another moment he was missing. Beth Puckerman's first day of school. Up until now Quinn had home schooled her daughter and seriously considered keeping it that way. After much thought and a few arguments with her mother, she knew she had to let her daughter become a part of the world outside of their home. Her mother scolded her for trying to shield Beth from the world and explained she needed to learn how to socialize. So, here she was, a few blocks from William Penn Charter school. She rather send Beth anywhere else, but her father, Pennsylvania Governor Russell Fabray, insisted his only grand child attend his alma mater. Even when Quinn made a fuss about the 21,000 dollar tuition, he just shrugged her off and wrote a check.

Quinn enjoyed being a stay at home mom and, with her degree from Columbia university in Education, she was more than qualified to home school her daughter. But she gave in to her mother's pleas to let Beth have a "normal" childhood. She pulled in a parking spot and turned to face the child in the back seat that was the spitting image of herself. Her blonde curls, her hazel-emerald eyes, her bright smile. Beth looked exactly like her mother and everyone always told them so.

"You ready kiddo?"

"Yes!"

"Whoa, don't sound so excited to leave your mom." Beth giggled as Quinn got out the car and rounded it. She open the door to a bouncing Beth, who hadn't waited to release herself from her seatbelt. She hopped out the car and grabbed Quinn's hand. They walked in silence towards the class Quinn would be walking her to for the next nine months. Once outside the classroom Quinn bended down to be eye level with the most important person in her life.

"Hey kid, do you have any idea how much I love you?" Quinn looked at Beth and tried to fight the tears that were caught in her eyes.

"This much?" Beth opened up her arms to stretch them far apart.

"Nope, this much." She pinched together her thumb and pointer finger and raised it to her eye to squint through the small space.

"But that's only a little!" Beth pouted.

"Just messing with you." Quinn poked her daughter's stomach which caused her to giggle. It was Quinn's favorite sound. "I love you to the moon and back kiddo."

"I love you too mommy." Beth flung her arms around Quinn's neck and she almost let a tear drop before choking her emotions back.

"Have a great first day kid. Behave and I'll take you for ice cream after school and you can tell me all about it."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, but only if your teacher tells me you behaved." Quinn said firmly. She decided that no matter what grade her daughter was in, she'd take her out for ice cream on her first day of school, a tradition she hoped she could carry on until she graduated college.

"I'll be on my best behavior!"

"Good. I love you kid."

"Love you too, bye!" Beth was way too excited to leave, Quinn thought.

"Bye kiddo." Quinn said quietly as she watched her little girl skip happily into her classroom.

Once back in her car Quinn let her tears of mixed emotions fall. She was happy and proud but sad and worse, lonely. It was embarrassing to admit, but besides Rachel and her ex, Beth was Quinn's best friend, and best companion. When Rachel was busy with work or her three-year old twin boys, Beth was always there. Now, in her car, she had no idea where to go or what to do without the need to look after Beth. After Noah's untimely death, Quinn resigned from her position at Main Line Academy where she was an art teacher. Since then all she's done was take care of her daughter and home. Her trust fund was mostly intact aside from the money she used for emergencies, and Noah's life insurance took care of most of the bills, so there was no actual need to work. But now with Beth in school for over seven hours five days a week, Quinn felt the need to look for work. She knew it was too late in the year to apply for a teaching position but she put it on her to do list for the possibility of next school year. For now, she had no clue what she'd do to fill her days.

Rachel, who Quinn met and befriended after she returned from New York, was not an option. She was a wife, a mother, and a psychologist. She was always particularly busy and not readily available when Quinn wanted to hang. Today was no different. Beth was at school, and anyone else she could think of was at work. Quinn accepted that her day would be uneventful and began to count down the minutes until she was reunited with the only part of Noah she had left. She looked at the picture of him which she placed on her dashboard and wished so desperately that his time on earth hadn't ended.

They met freshman year of high school and he was a jerk to her. Always teasing her and making wise cracks. One day, after gym, he cornered her outside the locker room and kissed her, to which he received a slap across his cheek. He rubbed his cheek and grinned at her, he said it was worth it and walked away. The next day she was sipping from a water fountain when she felt a pair of lips near hers, it was Noah. She jumped up and shoved him as hard as she could to which he laughed. He told her he was thirsty and couldn't wait, then he walked away. Quinn didn't know it yet, but she had already fallen. Noah messed with her for the rest of the school year and she always hit or pushed him and he'd always grin at her and walk off. What solidified her growing feelings was an afternoon during summer break when she was laying on her living room floor drawing and heard the doorbell. Walking to the door and opening it to the stupid grin she'd missed for nearly three weeks took her breath away. Noah had on his signature dopey grin and a bouquet of flowers he clear picked from someone's unsuspecting garden.

They began hanging out everyday, all day for the rest of the summer. Quinn was certain he'd pretend like they were just friends or he was hooking up with her when school started back up but he didn't. He walked her to every class, he held her hand and referred to her as his girlfriend even though he hadn't officially asked her. He told her he loved her at their back to school dance that October and of course she said it back. They were blissfully together and nothing could break them up, that was until Quinn cheated. She couldn't help it, she started having weird feelings towards one of her friends and she had to explore it, if not to just rule out the possibility she may be gay. She and Noah had never had sex but she was sure she wanted to. When Courtney invited her over for a slumber party she got more than she bargained for. She loved every second she spent with Courtney and came to the conclusion she did like girls, but she loved Noah. Telling Noah she had cheated on him was the hardest conversation she had up until that point. He didn't talk to her for over a month. When he finally spoke to her again they had a long talk about why she would do that, then they made love for the first time and she admitted to him she was bisexual. She promised him she would never cheat again, and she never did.

Four years later, during her sophomore year at Columbia, she became mesmerized by a girl that worked at the campus café. She would see her around campus all the time but she tried to stay away. The internal battle to not look Marley's way was a pure blood bath. Quinn had to make the conscience decision everyday to not stare at her. One day Marley asked her a question while she sat at her usual table and Quinn was infatuated. She loved Noah more than anything but there was an inexplicable pull towards Marley. It didn't help matters that Noah was still in Philadelphia, beginning his rookie year as a cop. He was busy, she was busy and Marley was sweet and beautiful and right in front of her. As badly as she wanted Marley she couldn't possibly betray Noah again. So she didn't and she continued her torturous friendship with Marley.

When Quinn went home for winter break Noah could sense something was off. Quinn admitted to her feelings for Marley and he told her to go for it. Thinking he was testing her she declared her love for him repeatedly and shot down any idea of leaving him for her. Noah maturely suggested they take a year break. He told her they should focus on themselves and figure out who they are apart from one another. He also mentioned that she needed to get her "college lesbian on" before they got old and got married.

Thus began her year-long relationship with one Marley Rose. Even though they talked regularly, she missed Noah, she did, but Marley touched her in places she was sure Noah didn't even know existed. But she was also sure that he was learning a thing or two "discovering" himself. They both agreed that during this year-long "break" they could do what and who ever that wanted, and Noah was with a lot of different girls. He'd tell her all about it and she'd listen but he couldn't stomach listening to stories about Marley, simply because he knew she was in love. The most difficult part of the agreement wasn't the girls Noah was sleeping with or anything else concerning him, it was the fact that she and Marley knew they were living on borrowed time. At the beginning of their relationship Quinn explained, in detail, what she and her boyfriend was doing. She adamantly let her know that whatever they did could only last for twelve months, and Marley accepted that fact. That was until month eleven when she and Quinn were both an emotional mess. They ended up crying every time they made love, knowing that very soon it would be their last time.

Noah gave her an out a week before the year was up, he told her that if she was happy with Marley, she could stay with her and he'll always be her friend. He didn't even give her the chance to answer him, he told her to sleep on it and she did. For all of an hour. In the middle of the night she rushed over to Marley's dorm and made love to her all night long. There were no tears, only cries of passion. That weekend she visited Noah and made love to him too. When he asked her had she decided, her answer was simple.

_"I'm in love with Marley. I'm in love with you. But it isn't the same."_

_"Oh." Noah hung his head as he stood in front of Quinn at 30th St station. "I understand."_

_"You understand that I want to spend the rest of my life with you? Good, that saves me a lot of explaining." she grinned at him as she watched his face light up._

_"But..."_

_"But nothing, I'm in love with her, I am, but not the way I'm in love with you. I don't see my future children with her, I only see that with you. You and me, forever if that's okay with you."_

_"It's more than okay. I love you Quinn, and I was hoping you still loved me too. You know, after all this."_

_"Thank you Noah."_

_"For loving you?"_

_"No, for loving me enough to let me go. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."_

_"How about we start right now."_

It was unconventional and she still had two more days until their year "break" was up, but Noah proposed right there in the middle of the train station and of course she said yes. They didn't get married until two years after she graduated and they didn't have their first child until they'd been married for five years.

Marley and Quinn's friendship dissipated when Quinn came back to campus on Sunday with an extra piece of jewelry. But not before they made love on last time. They didn't speak for ten years, not until Marley found out Noah had passed away and showed up to the funeral. She comforted Quinn all night back at her hotel while Beth stayed at Quinn's house with Judy, Quinn's mom. Marley held Quinn tight while she sobbed herself to sleep. She'd wake up every so often and sob some more, Marley would wake up too and hold her tighter. Needless to say their friendship was rekindled, even though Marley's wife wasn't too keen on the idea.

When Quinn pulled into her designated parking spot at the Mansions at Bala, she pulled out her phone to Skype her friend, who was also a stay at home mom.

"Hey Quinn."

"Hey Marley, you busy?"

"Nope, just got Jules down, how are you?"

"Pretty good. Can I see her?"

"Sure." Quinn watched Marley walk from her living room to her daughter's nursery. Marley and her wife each gave birth to two children. Julie was the latest addition to the Pierce-Rose household. Marley had her just six months ago. Brianna was seven, Michael was four and Dianna was two. Marley pointed the camera in the direction of Julie's crib where she laid sound asleep.

"Good she's so beautiful." Quinn whispered. Marley backed out the room and was soon plopped down on her couch.

"Yeah."

"Where's Di?"

"Napping too. Thank Jesus, Mary and Joseph."

"Oh stop it, you love it."

"I do."

"I miss having a baby around."

"Want one of mine? No seriously take one, we have too many. And Britt's crazy ass said she wants two more."

"That's wonderful."

"Wonderful my ass. More like stressful. Why don't you have another one?"

"I need a man for that." Quinn reasoned.

"Or a woman."

"Or that. But we both know I don't have time for anyone in my life except for Beth."

"Oh!" Marley exclaimed. "How was dropping her off today?"

"Rough. I wish you lived in Philly, then I could come over and cry on your shoulder."

"Don't be such a baby, she's growing up."

"Yeah..." Quinn said sadly.

"Besides, who in their right mind would ever leave New York? Opps, sorry." Marley snickered at Quinn's insulted expression.

"I had someone waiting here for me, remember?"

"Oh, I remember Quinn." She wasn't positive, but Quinn was almost sure she saw a tinge of regret on Marley's face. Marley has never said it, but Quinn knew she wanted everything she had with Brittany, with her. But that was a topic neither woman touched, there was no point.

"Yeah, so...I had to come back. I love Philadelphia anyway, even if Noah wasn't here waiting on me, I would have come home."

"I suppose, but how could you subject little Quinn to _not_ growing up in New York. It's the greatest city on earth." Marley refused to call Beth by her name, even though both Quinn and Beth objected. Eventually both mother and daughter accepted it.

"I beg to differ."

"Mommy?" Dianna's voice could be heard.

"Really? You were asleep for like a half hour." Quinn saw a mess of blonde hair and piercing blue eyes staring at her. Marley brushed her hair back and Dianna smiled and waved.

"Hello princess Di, goodness Marley, Brittany spit her out."

"I know right, Brianna too, it's uncanny."

"She does look just like Bri when she was a baby." Brittany was a photographer and had a ton of baby pics of all their children. Marley had barely sent Quinn half of their first born's pictures. They only got to age three so far. "Geez Mar, you have such a beautiful family."

Marley smiled adoringly at Quinn before she directed her attention to Dianna. "Yeah, I'm blessed."

"I'll let you get back to mommy duty."

"Okay, text me later to tell me how her first day went."

"Sure thing. Bye Di. Talk to you later Mar."

"Bye Quinn." She blew the camera a kiss and disconnected their call.

She tried to ignore the tingles Marley still sent her, but Marley made that difficult by just breathing. Even though she was happily married with four beautiful children, Quinn knew she could have Marley, in a not so platonic way. She'd never leave her family, she knew that, but she couldn't imagine there would be much difficulty getting her into bed. Quinn shook off her wandering thoughts knowing she'd never do that with someone else's wife. She chanced a look at her clock and instantly regretted it. Still five and a half more hours until it was time to pick up Beth, what to do now? She got out of her car and went into her apartment.

Quinn was so bored she did something she hadn't done since she found out about Noah's death, she drew. After clicking through her emails she found the perfect subject. A two-year old Brianna Pierce-Rose. Just then she decided she'd draw all of her friend's children, frame them and give them to her for Christmas.

Two fifty couldn't have come fast enough. And when the bell rung, she was already outside Beth's classroom. Beth ran up to Quinn and jumped into her waiting arms. Quinn lifted her and squeezed her tight.

"How was your first day sweetie?" She placed her back on the ground.

"You have to talk to my teacher remember?" Beth said ignoring the question.

"Ah yes...ice cream." Quinn walked into the now empty classroom. "Miss Young?"

"Yes, hello." Beth's very attractive teacher turned around to meet Quinn's eyes.

"Um, hi. Quinn Fabray." She stuck her hand out which Miss Young took.

"Nice to meet you. What can I do for you Quinn Fabray?" Her smile was dazzling but it was her eyes that made Quinn look away. They were the iciest green eyes she had ever seen, and they looked perfect against her caramel skin. It seemed like every woman she came across lately sent her thoughts to an impure place. Quinn looked down at Beth.

"I was just wondering how this one was today, she can be a bit of a trouble maker." She winked as Beth scrunched her face up.

"Mommy..." Beth whined.

"I find that hard to believe, she was a perfect angel today." Miss Young ran her hand over Beth's wild curls.

"Oh, playing nice for your teacher huh? She's a terror at home."

"Mommy stop teasing me!" Quinn and Miss Young shared a laugh.

"Okay okay, I'll stop. I think I got a good one."

"I think so too." The adults shared a look as Beth tugged impatiently on her mom.

"Mommy...ice cream." She felt the need to remind.

"Duty calls. Pleasure to have met you Miss Young." Quinn shook her hand again.

"The pleasure is all mine Miss Fabray, see you tomorrow Beth."

In the car Beth bounced excitedly in her seat chanting ice cream over and over.

She stopped her cheer and was quiet for a few beats. "Mommy?"

"Yeah kiddo?"

"Why is my last name Puckerman and your's Fabray?"

Quinn swallowed the lump in her throat. Pain tugged at every nerve in her body in response to her daughter's innocent question. "Uh, because mommy never legally changed her name when she married daddy. You have...uh...you have your dad's last name." She choked out. "So tell me about your day."

"Not until we get ice cream." Quinn drove them straight down city line avenue to Baskin Robbins.

"Kid?"

"Yes mommy?" Beth said around a mouthful of chocolate chip ice cream.

"I was wondering if we could do this every year. On the first and last day of school, just you and me get some ice cream, what do you say?"

"I say that's an awesome idea mommy." Quinn couldn't wipe the smile off her face, Beth brought her so much joy. "Great. Now remember, if a person doesn't have their word..." She left the sentence for her daughter to finish.

"Then they don't have anything at all. I know."

"I know you're only five but imma hold you to this ice cream agreement."

"Mommy, why would I ever pass on ice cream?" She shoved another spoonful in her mouth.

"Because kiddo, one day you're going to be an insufferable teenager who I'll want to throw out of a moving vehicle occasionally, and you won't wanna hang with your old mom."

Beth gaped at her. "What's a vehicle?"

"A car."

"That's what I thought! You would throw me out your car?"

"While it's moving. Yeah." Quinn laughed.

"Mommy that's mean. I could get a really big boo boo."

"I really should record our conversations. Kid, when you're sixteen..." Quinn shook her head and silently hoped they'd always be close.

"I'll always wanna hang with you." Beth said quietly.

Quinn snorted and shook her head. "Just agree to ice cream on the first and last day off school until you don't have any more school left."

"Agreed."

"So tell me about your day."

"Oh!" Beth forgot all about their previous conversation. "It was great!"

"Lower your voice kid."

"Opps, sorry." The blush on her cheeks made Quinn pinch them.

"What made your day so great?"

"Well I made a new best friend."

"Did you now?"

"Uh huh. Her name is Santana and she has really long curly hair, just like mine but it's dark and she's really snarky."

Quinn's brow furrowed immediately. "Who taught you that word?"

"Marley."

_Figures_. "What makes Santana snarky?"

"I don't know. Uh, she says whatever, to whoever. She uh..." She was at a lost for words.

"Speaks her mind?"

"Yeah, but she says the funniest things. She asked me to be her best friend and I said yes. We share a cubby."

"You do?"

"Yep. Mommy can we have a play date? Pleeeeeeeease."

"I'd have to talk to her mommy first."

"Okay. So that's a yes?"

"We'll see kiddo."

After reading the gingerbread man to Beth, for perhaps the four thousandth time, Quinn laid on her bed with her feet at the head and her head at the bottom. She stared at her ceiling as she swam in a sea of boredom. _I should paint_. The thought alone gave Quinn anxiety. She hadn't pick up a paintbrush since her affair with Marley. Thirteen years is a long time to let something go. But as soon as the thought entered her mind, it stayed there like an uninvited guest, lounging around her brain. She got up and went into the unused bedroom in their three bedroom apartment. After Noah's death, Quinn didn't want to live in the house they brought to raise their kids in alone, so she sold the house and they moved to an upscale apartment building. All her art materials were boxed up in the spare room. She began to sort through the box until she found a brush set, some acrylic paint, her easel, and a canvas. The mop bucket that sat in the corner collecting dust was quickly rinsed out and filled with water. She sat in on a table by her easel and sorted out her colors and brushes. She took a piece of black chalk and outlined her subject. When the outline was complete, she stepped back and stared at her deceased husband. After taking a breath, she dipped her brush into her paint and placed the first stroke on the canvas.

The rest of the week came and went and each day, with Beth at school, Quinn would paint. She was so consumed with the ideas flowing from her fingertips and spilling on canvases, that she would forget to eat. She had to set multiple alarms to remind herself to nourish her body. The alarm that always put a smile on her face was the one signaling it was time to go pick up Beth. Just yesterday Beth informed her that Santana's mommy wanted to meet her too. She wasn't surprised because all week long all Quinn heard about were the umpteen stories she had of her new found best friend. Beth would go on and on about something Santana did or something hilarious she said. So when Thursday came, both Beth and her new best friend thought it was time for their mommies to meet the following day so they could have a playdate on Saturday.

Miss Young was bent over her desk giving Quinn the perfect view when she walked in the class. She quickly averted her eyes to the other side of the classroom to see her daughter helping another little girl poke a hole in her juice box. Anxiety filled Quinn when she saw how Beth was looking at the other girl. If it was one thing Quinn was sure of, it was that her feelings for other girls started at a very young age, she just couldn't decipher them. Beth handed her friend the juice box and they smiled at each other. Quinn shook off whatever may happen in regards to Beth's sexuality. That was a bridge that she was years away from crossing so there was no need to fret about it now. Miss Young waved and smiled and Quinn returned both gestures hoping her smile wasn't too suggestive. The irritation at her daughter's teacher's attractiveness crept into her mind. She shook it off and continued her stride towards her daughter.

"Hey kiddo."

"Hey mommy!" Beth's hugs were always enthusiastic, and Quinn held onto her tightly, trying to memorize these moments knowing that one day Beth won't hug her as tight. "This is Santana."

"Hello Santana, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too Beth's mommy. You're just as pretty as Beth. You look like twins!"

Quinn smiled brightly seeing very clearly why her daughter had taking a liking to the girl. "Well aren't you sweet. You're very pretty too. Do you look like your mommy?"

"Sure do. You should see our baby pictures. Mommy has them hanging side by side. It looks like the same baby. Maybe you'll see it when you come over Saturday." The little girl was just as outspoken as Beth describe, and very confident. Quinn's smiled brighter.

"Well we'll have to see what your mommy says about that. Who knows she might not like me." She said playfully. The two little girl's giggled before Santana spoke up again.

"Trust me, she'll like you. She loves pretty blonde women."

Quinn had to admit her curiosity was peaked, but before she had a chance to question what she meant the little girl ran past her and into a woman's arms. Quinn buttoned up Beth's jean jacket and took her book bag from her and placed it on her own shoulder. Beth took her hand to lead her to Santana and her mom. The woman sat Santana down and fixed her jacket, she stood back up and she and Quinn made eye contact for the first time. This woman was a thief. She stole Quinn's breath from her the instant she smiled. She was the most stunning woman Quinn had ever laid eyes on. She had a mess of long black curls that cascaded down her back. Her big eyes were the most delicious shade of chocolate. The set of lips that Quinn's eyes lingered on, were pink, plump, and looked soft enough to kiss for days without rest. Her cheekbones were high and perfect. She was perfect. Beth's new friend's mom was the sexiest woman she'd ever seen and she couldn't stop staring. After only faintly registering the hand that was stretched out in front of her, she extended her own. The electricity that shot through her entire body was almost too much to bear. She closed her eyes briefly to try to regulated her breathing that was slowing getting out of control.

"Hi, so nice to meet you. I'm Santana. Lopez."

"Nice to...meet you too."

"Shall we?" Santana pointed to the door and waved at Miss Young, Quinn barely did the same. Once in the hallway, Quinn had composed herself a little. They made it to the parking lot before either of them spoke. "Wanna go to the playground?"

Quinn followed Santana's line of sight to the children on the playground that was built on the school grounds. "Sure." Beth and little Santana let go of their mom's hands to link their own and skipped slightly ahead, excited to go play.

"So your house or mine because I'm sure neither one of us is gong to be able to tell them they can't hang out tomorrow afternoon." She smiled and Quinn turned her attention to the girls in front of her.

"Yours is fine."

"Great." They walked over to a bench and took off their daughter's back packs.

"You named her after yourself?" Quinn asked disbelievingly.

"My wife had no clue what she wanted to name her and neither did I. So one day I was watching a rerun of Gilmore girls and Lorelai said "Men name their son's after themselves so I thought, why can't I?" And I turned to my wife and said, "we're naming her Santana Diabla Lopez the second". She didn't object, so that's what we named her." Santana stared lovingly at her daughter push Beth on the swing. Then Beth hopped off and little Santana got on and Beth pushed. "They are so adorable." She gushed. "Look, there is only one swing available so they're taking turns. Aww."

"They are quite taken with one another." Quinn observed.

"Tell me about it. "Bethany this and Bethany that, and I'm the only one who gets to call her that. And if someone else tries I'll beat them up." That kid. I swear, she's a whole lotta woman to be just five."

Quinn chuckled. "So what do you call her? Doesn't it get confusing?"

"Oh no, everyone calls her Ana."

"I see. So you're married?" She looked at Santana's left hand and quirked an eyebrow at the noticeably bare ring finger.

"I was when we were discussing names. Then I wasn't." Santana tears her eyes away from her little girl to look at Quinn. Once again the woman steals her breath straight from her lungs. "We had a bitter battle over when to start a family and she was adamant that she had the first one. When we went through all the hops that is in vitro, we found out she couldn't carry. I really wasn't ready but I wanted to give her what she wanted. We had been married for almost ten years at that point so I let her put a baby in me." She chuckled then paused. "We were together since high school, almost fourteen years at that point. I guess we just grew apart and she must have thought having a baby would solve all our problems. I don't know...I think we got married too young. We were twenty. By thirty, when we had Ana, we realized nothing could really save us. We stuck it out for the first year of her life, then one day, out the blue, I come home and she's sitting at the dining room table with a glass of wine and some blue papers. Fifteen years down the toilet. I was thirty-one and a single mom, and had only been in one relationship my whole life. Talk about fish out of water." Her laugh was humorless.

"Wow." Was all Quinn could manage.

"I'm sorry. I don't normally talk about all this stuff. I just say I'm divorced and leave it at that. I'm not sure why but I just feel comfortable talking to you."

Quinn hoped the burning in her cheeks was because of the bright September sun. "They say it's easier to talk to strangers, sometimes more than someone you've known your whole life."

"They do say that don't they? But I'm not sure that's it. I feel like an open book with you...I'm not sure why." She smiled again and Quinn was sure she needed to admit herself to the hospital because her heart was beating so rapidly.

"Wait a minute. Santana Lopez, as in "The Human Condition" Santana Lopez?"

"The one and only." Now it was Santana's turn to blush.

"Your books are sensational." Quinn exclaimed. "I've read all five and each one is better than the last. You're _so_ good..." It wasn't meant to sound they way it did so Quinn stopped her sentence before she could further embarrass herself.

"You're too kind Quinn." She was breathtakingly beautiful, talented, successful, smart, and humble. Quinn wondered how anyone could possible be married to her and not want it forever. "I just have a bunch of stuff in my head and I write it down. No big deal."

"No big deal? You were on Oprah's book thingy."

"Thingy?" Her smile grew impossibly wide.

"Yeah, I saw the sticker on your last book." They smiled at each other and Quinn was sure that time had decided to stand still, just for them. "Yeah well she doesn't pick the books and she told me she doesn't read them either. She has one of her flunkies give her cliff notes about all the good parts."

"She...told you?"

"Yeah. I guess you don't watch Oprah?"

"Here and there."

"Oh well I was on there. It was a few years ago."

"Impressive. Was she nice?"

"Very. She was charming and pleasant and very polite. I had a good time."

"Mommy?" Ana interrupts.

"Si mija?"

"Bethany says that her mommy took her for ice cream on her first day of school because she was a good girl and we were both good girls today and I was wondering if we could go get some pleeeeeeese?" Ana strung together all her words in one breath and managed the most adorable pout to accompany her begging.

"It's not an everyday thing sweety." Quinn tells Ana, trying to help her mom out. Santana just shrugs.

"It's okay Quinn, if it's okay with you that is."

"Pleeeeeeease?" Both girls whine.

"Alright."

"Yes!" They high five and hug each other.

"Can we go now mommy?" Beth asks.

"Let's go. Do you know where Baskin Robbins is?" Quinn looks at Santana.

"Yeah, down on 76th right?"

"Yeah." They both get up and look at each other, neither moving. "So I'll see you there?"

"But mommy why can't we go together?" Ana complained. "I wanna ride with Bethany."

"Santanita." Santana said in a warning tone.

"I have an idea." Quinn chimes. "Why don't I drop my car off at home and we ride there together? It's directly on the way. We live in the Mansions at Bala."

"Oh that's right on city ave. Okay we can do that. I'll just follow you out." Santana suggests.

"Okay. Come on Bethany." Ana glared at Quinn and she doubled over in laughter after getting the reaction she was seeking.

"You never call me by my name!" Beth squealed.

"I know kiddo, I was just messing with Ana."

"Beth's mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Can she ride with us?" Ana tightened her grip on Beth's hand and the anxiety she forgot about snuck up on her again. She looked at their joined hands and thought about the conversation she'd have to have with her daughter, much earlier than she expected. The look in Ana's eyes, the way she held Beth's hand, the way both she and Beth talked about each other. It was all too obvious that their affection ran deeper than either of their five-year old minds could comprehend.

"If it's okay with your mommy."

"Sure is."

"Kiddo, help me get your booster seat out my car."

"Okay." Beth skipped over to Quinn and grabbed her hand.

"You really like Ana huh?"

"She's the best."

Quinn buckled her in and Beth grabbed Ana's hand once she was secure. "See you in a bit kid. I'll miss you."

"Mommy, we'll be right behind you. Right Santana's mommy?"

Both Quinn and Santana laughed. "Right Beth."

"Drive carefully, there's some precious cargo back here." Quinn looked in the front seat at Santana.

"Always." With one more lingering look, Quinn closed the car door and walked over to hers.


	2. Chapter 2

**WOW...Y'ALL LIKE THIS ONE HUH? THANK YOU. I'M FLATTERED AT THE RESPONSE.**

**MADE THIS LONG JUST FOR YOU GUYS. PLEASE, ENJOY.**

"Okay, so your daughter's new best friend's mom is the hottest woman you've ever seen. No big deal. It's not like she'd be into you anyway. And it's not like that even matters because she's your daughter's best friend's mom, which makes her off limits. Ugh!" Quinn tried to calm herself while looking in her visor. She got out of her car and walked the short distance to Santana's who was waiting with her car running. She opened the door and tried not to stare. They rode to Baskin Robbins in silence except for the soft jazz coming from the speakers. It wasn't too crowded and Quinn offered to take the girls to the counter to order. Santana wanted Gold medal ribbon, Beth wanted her usual Chocolate chip until Ana asked for Cotton candy, and Quinn got her usual mint chocolate chip. The girls got cups and the adults got cones.

"Ew, that's just gross."

"What? It's delicious." Quinn defended and waved off Santana's turned up face.

"Mint chocolate chip. Who wants mint with their chocolate?"

"This girl." Quinn pointed her thumb at herself and took an exaggerated lick.

"I see." They shared another look that Quinn was sure was a little too long. "So are you not with Beth's dad anymore?" Beth stopped eating her ice cream mid bite and froze. Her eyes slowly rose to Santana. "What? What did I say?" Beth looked at Santana for a long moment then looked at her mom.

"Mommy can we go sit at our own table?"

"Why?" Quinn asked concerned.

"Because you're about to talk about grown up stuff."

"Uh, yeah. But sit right there." Quinn pointed to the table directly to her left. "So we can keep our eyes on you."

"Okay." Beth hopped down from her chair and grabbed her and Ana's ice cream. They walked over to the table and sat, they immediately started giggling about something Quinn didn't hear. She turned her attention back to Santana.

"I feel like shit already. I'm sorry I brought it up." Santana's eyes were full of remorse.

"It's okay, you didn't know." She looked over at Beth. "Her dad and I were together since high school like you and your ex. We met when we were fourteen. Anyway he was a cop. A damn fine cop at that. He got called to a convenience store that was being robbed. The dude was a meth head with a gun, he shot Noah. That was his name, he shot him before Noah could even get a full sentence out then he ran. This according to the cashier. They caught him two weeks after his funeral, he took a stolen car for a joy ride." She shook her head.

"I'm so sorry Quinn." Santana put her hand on Quinn's and for a moment, Quinn thought her hand was on fire. She gently slid her hand from under Santana's. "How old was Beth?"

"Just two."

"God. I'm sorry. That really sucks."

Quinn chuckled. "Yeah It definitely sucks. So...it's been just me and the kid ever since."

"Does she know?"

"Yeah. She knows he's in heaven. I'm not sure if she completely grasps the concept of death, or how hard it is to lose someone. Just earlier this week I had to stop myself from balling when she asked why our last names were different." She paused, looking over at her daughter once more. "It never stops hurting, ya know?"

"I've never lost someone. I've never had to deal with death in all my thirty-five years. My mom and dad are still here. Both sets of grandparents are still kicking. It's just something I've never dealt with so I can't even begin to pretend to comprehend."

"Wow, everyone always tries to act like they know what it's like to lose your husband. Thanks for not doing that."

"If it's one thing I am Quinn, it's honest." There was that smile again. She really wished Santana would stop with the smiling, and the eyes, and the being unfairly gorgeous thing.

"Good to know." Their eyes met and Quinn had to quickly look away. This woman was almost too beautiful for Quinn to look at. "So, what's the next book in the series gonna be about?"

Santana was a very famous, very accomplished author. Her books were a series of topics on innate things that plague humans. There were five in all, Fear, Jealousy, Cheating, Deception, and Coveting. What Quinn liked most about her novels were the fact that they were half non-fiction and half fiction. Santana's books always started out explaining whichever topic was the focus from a physiological stand point and she'd include a fictional story to accompany her findings.

"Oh...uh...death."

"Shit."

"Yeah..."

"That's convenient. But...you've never dealt with it, how are you going to write about it?"

"Excellent question Miss Fabray." _Stop smiling at me_, Quinn wanted to shout but refrained from doing so. "Well I studied human behavior and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania which is no slouch education. Plus I lived in that library. I couldn't stop reading about human behaviors and how the brain works. I was so fascinated by why we, as humans, act the way we do. What makes us tick. I read so much I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out." She laughed and Quinn joined her. "So even though I haven't experienced it first hand, I've read about it, extensively. I've been doing some heavy research on it as well. I'm still riding high off the last installment so my publisher gave me a year. Right now I just have a bunch of words on like ten legal pads so I'm nowhere near ready but I'm getting there."

They ate their ice cream quietly for a few beats, just watching their daughter's interact.

"So," Santana started. "Which is your favorite? You know, if you wanna stroke my ego."

_She has no idea what I'd really would like to stroke. Jesus, is this woman even real? I really wish she'd stop smiling at me_. "Uh...Coveting for sure."

Santana smiled and began nodding her head. "Ah, my best seller."

"Really?"'

"Yeah, it's done well. So why was that your favorite?"

"First of all that chapter forbidden fruit. It was genius. It's so true that we always want something someone tells us we can't have. Or if we see someone with something we can't afford it makes us want it more. And when you wrote about people becoming more desirable when they have a mate, thus making them the fruit, it was spot on. But what I enjoyed most of all were the two short stories. They really blew my mind, they were so good."

Santana was blushing furiously and ducked her head. She licked her ice cream but Quinn saw the small smile playing on her lips. "Geez, that means so much hearing that from someone who doesn't want anything from me. Not someone who's interviewing me, but just a real person who went out and bought the book. Thank you, I'm flattered." she looked back up and smiled.

"You're very welcome. Those stories were eye opening though." Quinn continued.

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well I was raised color blind. Someone's race or gender or age, none of that ever factored in on me being around someone or liking them. Plus, well, I'm white so how could I ever know about something like that? Never would I guess that there is such a division in the black community because of colorism, it was deep. I was genuinely heartbroken reading about that young girl hating herself and thinking she's ugly because she had dark skin. And her best friend had light skin and she wished she looked like her instead." The story really had touched Quinn. She couldn't fathom that there was a war between light skin blacks and dark skin blacks or how society makes blacks with darker skin feel. The young girl relaxed her hair and bleached her skin because she coveted other's lighter complexions. "It was very informative. And the other story, my goodness, I couldn't put the book down. A woman coveting another woman's husband...in church! I was floored how that one played out." The woman went as far as joining the choir that the husband lead, just to get close to him. And because the flesh is weak, the woman succeeded.

"All true stories." Santana informed a very shocked Quinn.

"No."

"Yep. I prefer to write the truth. That's why I haven't put out a fiction novel yet, although my editor thinks I'd make up something spectacular. I'm just not that creative. So when I'm doing research for a book I ask people to share their stories with me. I change names and settings and a few details but it's mostly true."

"I had no idea. Wow."

"Could I interview you?"

"What?" Quinn was caught completely off guard.

"I'd like to talk to you about your loss. If you want. You don't have to. I'm sorry, sometimes I just get excited and don't think, I'm stupid, I'm..."

"Will you relax. I'd love to share my story, it _is_ a bit interesting."

"Okay, great. Shoot."

"Right now?"

"Yeah." Her phone ranged. "Oh, hold on one second, I have to get this. Hey baby..."

Quinn didn't hear whatever else Santana said to whoever was on the end of her receiver. A part of her was relieved that she had someone she was calling baby. That meant there was even less chance she would try to jump her bones. But another part of her was a little disappointed. She looked over at Beth and Ana, who had pushed their chairs together. They were exchanging whispers and when one would pull away they would both giggle. Beth put her arm around Ana and pulled her closer. They didn't speak, they just smiled at one another. It was adorable and innocent, but Quinn couldn't help but wonder where their friendship might lead.

"Sorry about that." Santana snapped Quinn from her thoughts. "My girlfriend wanted to know what we wanted for dinner, then there was a great debate about me allowing _my_ child to have ice cream before dinner time."

"Do you two live together?"

"Oh no. Unfortunately my divorce agreement states neither one of us can live with a significant other unless we become wed. I couldn't even introduce Ana to Gabby until Amber met her and approved."

"Your ex-wife?" Santana nodded. "So she's still around."

"Of course. Please, if I tried to keep junior away from her she would have sued me, and it would have gotten ugly. Luckily the thought never crossed my mind. If she were a man and we got divorced it would have been the same thing. She's as much Ana's mom as I am." They smiled at each other, again letting a moment pass without speaking. "So, story time."

"Okay. Girl meets boy and boy picks on and harasses girl all school year. Boy stalks girl and shows up at her house. Girl asks boy how he knew where she lived and boy simply states he has his ways. Boy and girl become an item and they lived happily ever after. That is until girl becomes wildly attracted to another girl."

Santana gasps and puts her hand to her chest in shock. "Tell me more, tell me more." She urges with a silly grin on her face.

"Girl can't help being attracted to other girl and makes a huge mistake. Girl cheats on boy with other girl."

"Then what?" Santana's eyes were wide and she was on the edge of her seat like she was in the middle of a good movie.

"Girl feels awful so she tells boy and boy doesn't speak to her or even look at her for a whole month. When boy finally talks to girl he asks her why the first person she had sex with wasn't him. Girl tries to explain as best she could that she couldn't control herself and it's out of her system. Eventually and," Quinn looked over at Beth and a smile graced her lips. Beth was the best thing that had ever happened to her. "Thankfully, boy forgives girl." Quinn turned her attention back to Santana. "Girl and boy make love and spend their last two years of high school inseparable. Girl graduates and gets into a fancy school. Boy graduates and joins police academy. They, sadly, live three hours apart, but they make it work and live happily ever after, until girl meets new girl."

"Aww shit." Santana's smile was wider than Quinn had seen all evening.

"So girl tries her hardest to stay away from new girl until new girl doesn't give her the option anymore and talks to her one day. So girl explains to boy that it's happening again but she'd never cheat on him, not again. Boy maturely suggests they take a year off from their relationship and the only reason they don't get back together is if they don't love each other anymore. Boy says they should learn and grow without each other."

Santana's eyebrows shoot up. "Wow." She whispers.

"So girl agrees even though that meant boy would be having sex with other girls. But girl had to find out about new girl, she had to learn. So one day girl goes up to new girl and proposes a year long, no strings attached affair. New girl eagerly agrees and they have sex that afternoon. They have sex every day, everywhere for three months. Then girl and new girl realize they are crazy about each other. The next eight months are spent with them getting to know each other and making passionate love and falling harder every single step of the way. By month eleven of their agreement new girl is begging girl to stay, to not go back to boy. They make love almost every day but it's not the same. It's as if each day they're saying goodbye. Lots of slow kissing involved and lots of tears. One night, a week before they were to end, girl tells new girl she doesn't want anymore tears, she just wants to make love. For the first time that night, they tell each other they love the other."

"Hold on, eleven months of knocking boots and y'all never said the L word?"

"Shh, don't interrupt."

"Oh, sorry."

"So where was I...oh right. So they make love like they never have before. All night long. That weekend girl gets on train to see boy. She's beyond conflicted and she cries the whole way there. Girl and boy make love for the first time in over a year. She laid in his arms and she realized what her truth was. It was him. So on sunday boy takes girl to train station and she tells him she chooses him, even though there was still technically two more days. Boy is ecstatic and asks girl to marry him. Boy has a ring and everything. It was beautiful and girl asks him when he got it. Boy tells her he purchased it over a year ago. Girl gets on train engaged."

"Oh my God, what about new girl?" Santana asked, looking genuinely sad.

"Believe it or not, boy gave girl permission to live out the last two days of their agreement." Quinn explains.

"Whaaaaaat?"

"Yep. So girl goes back to campus, straight to new girl's dorm. Girl tells new girl she loves her, that she's even in love with her, but she loves boy more. New girl cries for a long time while girl holds her. New girl stops crying and kisses girl. Each kiss pleading with her to stay. Girl almost didn't do it, but she wanted one last time, plus boy had given her the go ahead, so girl makes love to new girl for the last time. After she gets dress girl tells new girl her decision is final. New girl shed a new batch of tears. She verbally begs girl to stay. Girl doesn't give in and leaves new girl broken-hearted."

"That's fucked Quinn." Santana shakes her head and pulls out a legal pad and pen from her oversized purse. She starts scribbling away, seemingly lost in the paper.

"Mommy?" Beth tugs on Quinn's sleeve. "Can you take me to the potty?"

"Sure kiddo, Ana, do you have to go too?"

"Nope." She scoops the last of her ice cream in her mouth and licks her lips, smiling, exposing her missing two front teeth.

When Quinn gets back to the table she's sharing with Santana, the other woman was still writing, faster than Quinn had ever seen anyone write. She flips the page filling up the next and then fills up three more pages before she acknowledges Quinn again. Being an artist herself, she knows to leave someone alone when creativity strikes.

"Finish." Santana demands, and dammit if Quinn didn't already think she was sexy, her concentration face sealed the deal.

"Girl finishes school, she manages to avoid new girl who was a year ahead of her. Girl and boy don't get married for another two years, not wanting to rush things. Five years later and fourteen into their relationship, minus that little year hiccup, they have a baby girl. She's perfect, everything's perfect. They move out of their one bedroom apartment and buy a four bedroom house because they want lots of kids. Two years after perfect baby is born, girl hears her doorbell pretty late at night." Quinn looked out the window and sighed. "Girl sees two police officers. One she knows the other she doesn't but she knows what's coming next. They apologize and girl throws up she's so sick with grief. She sobs the rest of the night, not getting a wink of sleep. When perfect toddler wakes up she runs into her mommy's room only mommy is at the bottom of the stairs. Perfect toddler is scared and starts to cry so girl goes upstairs to get her. She holds perfect toddler and falls to the floor again, crying. Perfect toddler says nothing, she just wraps her tiny arms around girl's neck and squeezes as hard as she can and girl knows that as long as they have each other, they'll be alright."

Quinn looked at Santana who had the sexiest intense gaze. She looked at Quinn for a hot second before she started to write again. Quinn stopped talking and watched her write. She filled two pages then looked back up.

"Girl has to stand at door of funeral home to greet all the people and she would have never guessed who one of the guests would be. New girl walked up to girl and they looked at each other, examined each other's faces after being apart for a decade. They finally hugged and girl asked new girl to sit in front row."

"This is amazing Quinn, really. Tell me though, what does girl tell perfect toddler?"

"Perfect toddler asks where's daddy for three days straight. Girl draws perfect toddler a picture of the earth with flowers and trees and bunnies, she separates the earth with the sky with a plane and birds, and she draws heaven above the clouds with boy and a set of wings. Girl frames the drawing and gives it to perfect toddler to hang in her room. Girl tells perfect toddler that daddy can't come home anymore because he's in heaven with God." Santana doesn't say anything, she just starts to write again while Quinn waits quietly.

"New girl?" Santana inquires.

"New girl sits with girl the whole funeral and holds her close. She wipes her eyes and girl draws strength from the unexpected presence of her former lover. The wake was held at boy's mom's house so girl asks her mom will she watch perfect toddler for the evening, of course fantastic grandma says yes. New girl takes girl to her hotel because new girl lives in a different city. New girl takes off all of girl's clothes and new girl takes off most of hers. She puts girl in the bed and climbs in with her, she wraps her up in her arms and holds her so tight there's no space between their bodies. Girl cries the whole night, she sleeps in intervals of twenty minutes and wakes up weeping. New girl gets up with her each time and just rubs her back. They say nothing, girl just lets new girl comfort her."

"Wait, how did new girl hear about the...passing, if she lives in another city?"

"New girl reads newspapers on her tablet from almost every major city. Los Angeles times, New York Times, Chicago Tribune...Philadelphia Inquirer."

"Ah, I see." She writes some more before looking at Quinn expectantly.

"When the sun rises new girl orders breakfast and coffee. They eat and drink in silence. Girl asks new girl how her life is. New girl is married with two kids and her wife had just got pregnant with their third. They met a year after the affair and married a year after that, right after she graduated. They tried for a baby not long after they were married. Three years after girl had broken her heart she was a wife and a mother. Now she has four."

"Wait y'all are...I mean they're friends again?"

"How could they not be. She dropped everything to see if her ex was okay. She helped her piece herself back together again, she's one of her best friends now. The end."

"Wow, that was great. Especially the lesbian affair, that was hot." They both laughed.

"I'm going to need to talk to you some more. Do you think it would be okay if I used this, for the fiction portion I mean?"

Quinn nodded. "Yes, you can use it."

"I'd change some things up and add some other things that didn't happen."

"That's fine. You're an amazing writer, I give you full creative control."

"Great." She put her pen and pad back in her bag and looked at her phone. "You're going to have to give me that in writing." She said as she typed away.

"Sure thing."

"It's getting late. As much as I'd love to stay and talk with you, I've gotta get this one home. Come on mija."

"Noooo." Ana complained. "I wanna stay with Bethany."

"She has to get home and so do you. Gabby is making us dinner." Ana rolled her eyes.

"Can Bethany come over for dinner? She can spend the night."

"Mija, you'll be together tomorrow."

"Pleeeeease. Mommy come on pretty please, please, please, please?"

"Not tonight mija. That's that." Santana said sternly. "But if it's okay with Quinn, she can stay tomorrow night."

"Really? Yay!"

"Can I mommy?"

"I don't see why not."

"Yay!" Beth and Ana hugged

"Hold on, I have an idea, why don't you have Bethany and her mommy over for dinner?"

Santana looked at Quinn. "I literally have a million more questions to ask you. We could eat and hold up in my office."

"Sure."

"I hope you like spicy food. Gabby's Dominicano. She makes everything hot."

"I love spicy food." Quinn told her. They all walked out to Santana's car. Quinn held Beth's hand and Beth held Ana's while Ana's other hand was occupied with her mom's.

"You make a beautiful family." An older white lady said as she and her husband smiled at the foursome.

"Thank you so much." Santana responded. "Wow, you don't see that often."

"What?"

"An older person saying an 'alternative' family is beautiful." She put quotation marks around alternative. They reached the car and Quinn strapped in Beth and Santana did the same for Ana. The adults got up front, Santana pulled out her phone before she started the car.

"Hey babe, I know you always make enough to feed twenty people and I'm hoping you did tonight. Yeah, great...well because I have two guest joining us. You know the infamous Bethany that Santana Junior is always going on and on about. Yeah that's the one. Well her and her lovely mommy are coming over...Okay, love you too. Bye."

Quinn couldn't resist. "How long have you two been together?"

"A year and a half."

"How does that one feel about it?" Quinn pointed behind her with her thumb.

"Eh, it was an adjustment. She worships her other mother. They're as thick as thieves. For a while she tried to parent trap us, it was hilarious!" She started laughing loudly. "I'll have to tell you that story one day."

"Please do."

"Mommy, Beth's mommy?"

"Yes Santanita?" Quinn tried to not enjoy the latin accent that rolled off Santana's tongue.

"Bethany and I have decided something."

"And what's that?" Quinn asked, intrigued.

"We're going to call you Miss Q..." Ana started.

"And Miss S." Beth concluded.

"That's fine with us, right Miss S?"

"Right Miss Q." Santana's smile made Quinn wonder how Santana hadn't committed mass homicide. She was sure that if she kept smiling at her, her heart would give out.

The three story home that Santana and her daughter lived in wasn't more than ten minutes from Quinn's apartment. The home was beautifully decorated and quite spacious. Santana lead them through the living room which held a large dark brown sectional sofa, two recliners, and one of the biggest flat screens Quinn had ever seen. Next was the dining room where there was a long, elegantly decorated dining table with ten seats, a cherry wood china cabinet, and a small child's table in the corner. The legs of the table were red and the top was white. There were drawings all over the surface. Little Santana took Beth's hand and lead her over, telling her mommy she wanted to show her what she's drawn. Quinn followed Santana into her kitchen where the was a beautiful woman getting plates out of one of the cabinets. The kitchen was modern, all the appliances were stainless steel. The cabinets were gray with glass doors, revealing all it's neatly placed contents. The center island had a black and white marble top. There was a bouquet of white calla lilies in the middle. Two ovens stacked on top of each other stood next to more cabinets. The pantry door had a glass front as well, and the flooring was an off white tiling.

The beautiful woman's face lit up upon seeing Santana. She put down the plates and walked up to her, she wrapped her arms around her neck and they embrace, followed by a quick kiss. Gabby was short, shorter than Santana, with long dark brown hair that stopped at her backside. Her skin was a flawless, she was slightly darker than Santana. She was very petite with an angular face. She was very attractive and fit Santana like a glove.

"Hola!" She offered Quinn a smile. "Who's your friend?" Gabby asked Santana.

"Gabby this is Quinn, Quinn this is my girlfriend Gabby."

Quinn walked closer to the pair and took Gabby's outstretched hand. "So nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I hope you and your little one like tamales."

"We love them actually."

"Good, now where is this Bethany Ana won't stop talking about?"

Santana called Ana and Beth to come into the kitchen, when neither girl responded, Santana excused herself.

"You're beautiful." Gabby said, catching Quinn off guard. She opened her mouth to say thank you but Gabby continued. "My girlfriend is partial to blondes." Quinn began to shake her head and wanted to deny whatever Gabby was implying, but the brunette kept on. "I'm not accusing you of anything." She moved to the island and picked up a plate. She put two tamales on it and grabbed another plate. "I'm just saying, my girlfriend loves pretty blondes."

She said it with her back turned and Quinn had no idea what to make of her statements. She stretched her neck to see if Santana was in the dining room, she wasn't and neither was either of their children. When she looked back to Gabby she handed her two plates and motioned towards the table on the other side of the kitchen. Quinn accepted the plates and put them down, Gabby walked out the kitchen carrying two smaller plates. Quinn took a seat and when Gabby re-entered she took a seat next to her. She sat a picture in front of her plate.

"That's her ex-wife. She keeps the picture around because little diabla would have a fit if she didn't, anyway, isn't she pretty?"

Her face was indecipherable, Quinn had no clue what Gabby could possibly be driving at. She looked from the picture to Gabby then focused on Santana's ex-wife. She was in fact very good looking. Her shoulder length blonde hair was wavy. Her eyes were a haunting shade of gray. Her full lips were wrapped around a beautiful bright smile.

"Why are you showing me this?" Quinn didn't know so she figured she should ask. Just then Ana, Beth and Santana bounded in the room full of giggles. Gabby took the picture and got up, placing it on the island.

"Now you must be Beth." Gabby said as Santana took a seat across from Quinn.

"Yes, I am. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Why aren't you polite, and just as beautiful as your mommy." Beth ducked her head and whispered her thank you. "Aw don't be shy, you know you and your mommy could pass for twins."

Beth looked back up. "Everyone says that."

"I bet they do. Now, what would you two young ladies like to drink with your dinner?"

"Um...apple juice." Ana answered.

"Okay, coming right up. You little ladies go have a seat and I'll bring your juice in."

"Okay." They said in unison, and left the room.

Santana sighed. "Ana thought it was a good idea to take Beth up to her play room. She has like, a thousand toys, they obviously didn't want to leave. I had to bribe them with desert." She shook her head. Quinn laughed softly but remained quiet. During dinner Gabby and Santana talked about things Quinn wasn't privy to. Every so often Gabby would ask Quinn a personal question. When she asked Quinn if she had a husband or boyfriend, Quinn informed her she didn't. Gabby then asked if she had a girlfriend which caused Quinn to choke on her water, mid sip.

"Gabriella, that's so rude. Leave her alone." Santana said, coming to Quinn's rescue.

"What? I'm just interesting in learning about the mother of Ana's new best friend. We're obviously going to be seeing a lot of each other, no?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean you grill the woman. Allow the getting to know each other to happen organically."

"Yeah, yeah. Are you beautiful ladies finished?" Quinn blushed and nodded. Gabby got up and took both her and Santana's plates and walked over to the sink.

"You ready to talk some more?"

"Sure."

"Gabby, we'll be in my office if you need us, but we'll be working."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Quinn had some insight on the subject of my next book."

"Okay baby. I'll go check on the girls." Gabby walked out into the dining room and Santana walked the opposite way, with Quinn trailing her. She lead her to a room which was understated. There was a desk with a iMac on it. A chair behind the desk, a loveseat and the walls were lined with books.

"Wine?"

"Sure." Santana walked back out and Quinn looked around, taking in her surroundings distractedly. She couldn't help but wonder what Gabby had been insinuating. Santana returned shortly.

"So the girls ate and rushed back upstairs, leaving their mess."

Quinn brow furrowed. "Beth knows not to do that."

"She was just following Ana's lead." Santana shook her head and handed a glass of red wine to Quinn. She walked behind her desk and pulled out a legal pad and a pen, she came back over to sit next to Quinn who had one leg underneath her. Santana mimicked her position and sipped her wine.

"Your ex-wife is stunning, and so is your girlfriend." Quinn blurted out.

Santana snorted. "Wait, how do you know what my ex-wife looks like?"

"Gabby showed me a picture of her."

"Oh." Santana didn't seem surprised or act like that wasn't ordinary. Quinn was even more confused. "Well...she's not ugly."

"Not ugly? She looks like a model or like a hollywood actress or something."

"She's alright, I guess. I really don't look at her like that anymore, you know?"

"I see." The conversation halted as both women sipped their wine. "Why don't you live in new York or somewhere, I don't know, fancy?"

"That's the beauty of being a writer. I can live anywhere I want. I could live on the moon if I wanted to and still write."

"I suppose that's true, but why Philly?"

"I'm a born and raised Philadelphian. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on the planet, I love my city too much. Plus if I did live somewhere else, I'd have to get an NFL package because there's no way I'm missing an Eagles game. It isn't worth the hassle."

"You're a football fan?" Quinn asked excitedly.

"No, I' a Eagles fan. Football isn't appealing to me if my Eagles aren't playing."

"God, I love football, I don't care who's playing. I mean I'm obviously a die hard Eagles fan, but I really love football."

"Really?" Her smile was wide. "Maybe we can catch a game together?"

"Absolutley. I'm a season ticket holder."

"Really? Cool, I'd love to come with. I never buy tickets because I don't have anyone to go with."

"What about Gabby?"

"She hates sports." Santana informed her.

"Oh, that sucks. That's part of the reason I can't date a chick." Quinn laughed.

"What does one have to do with the other?"

"I can't date someone who doesn't like sports, we'd break up." Quinn stated seriously. Santana started to laugh. "I'm dead serious, I'm obsessed with sports. I watch Sports center, First take, Around the horn, Pardon the interruption, all of it. If my TV is even on, it's on ESPN."

"You're serious huh?"

"Yeah, and if I'm dating someone who hates sports...well it's like she hates a piece of me. Most women don't like sports so..."

"What's stopping you from dating men then?"

"Simple, no one will ever be Noah and I don't want some guy trying to be. He'd just be wasting his time. If I were to date, it have to be a woman. But I'm so not interested."

"Why?"

"I'm...I don't know, I'm just focused on Beth. I want to give her all my time and attention, make sure I'm the best mom I can be."

"You can't be a great mom and date?"

"I...I'm not sure. But I don't have any interest in finding out."

"So what?" Santana had a baffled expression on her face and Quinn thought is was adorable. "You're going to stay single...forever?"

Quinn shrugged. "I guess."

"That's crazy!"

"Why?"

"Because, you're...you deserve to be happy."

"I am happy, I have Beth. She's all I'll ever need."

"What about your other 'needs'?"

"Ha! Oh, well, I can just take care of that myself Santana."

Santana laughed and shook her head. "I know but, what about companionship?"

"I don't' know Santana, seriously. I guess I'd rather be alone then face losing someone again, even if it is just to a break up. And what about Beth, I don't like hiding things from her and I don't know how she'd react to me dating. Plus how do I know if it's okay to introduce someone to her, I wouldn't want to do that unless I knew it was going to last you know?"

"Yeah, definitely. I struggled with that when I began to see Gabby. Even though Gabby was in a relationship at the time, I really liked her."

"She was with someone?" Quinn finished her glass and Santana got up to get the wine bottle she'd sat on her desk. She refilled both of their glasses.

"Yeah. They were in an open relationship. And when I met her, they were having threesomes, like all the time. Plus whatever extra curricular activities with whoever. I think Gabby was stepping out way more than Carmen though. Anyway, I met her at a club and she started flirting and bought me drinks, we danced and talked a bit before she asked me to leave with her. It's crazy because that was my first night out after my divorce. My divorce had been finale for like a month at that point and I just wanted to have some fun, so I did." She sipped her wine and Quinn waited for her to finish.

"We left and she asked me if I ever had a threesome, of course I hadn't and she asked me if I wanted to. She showed me a picture of Carmen and I was in, I mean two beautiful Latina women, in bed? How on earth could I say no, plus I was a little drunk so, what the hell. I thought that would be a one night thing but Gabby invited me over for seconds then thirds. After that third time Gabby asked me out and we started seeing each other. Her and Carmen weren't in love, they cared for each other but they mainly just like having threesome with different women. Gabby and I fell for each other and the rest is history."

"My, my. That's quite a story."

"Have you ever had a three some?"

"What? No. No, never even thought about it." Quinn was sure she was crimson by now.

"Gabby still likes to from time to time."

"You guys have threesomes, still?"

"From time to time. I only do it because that's her kink. I know she loves me, and I her."

"Wow." Then it dawned on Quinn why Gabby was acting so peculiar. "Well I don't think I'd ever do that."

"Have a threesome?" Quinn nodded. "Why not?"

"Not my thing."

"How would you know."

"I wouldn't and I'm not interesting in finding out. I'm not even interesting in dating anyone, I'm only interesting in being a mom."

"That's boring." Santana challenged.

"To me Santana, it's the only thing I want." She wasn't exaggerating or making anything up. When Noah passed she knew her top priority would forever be Beth. As the years came and went, she realized she didn't want to do anything except solely focus on her daughter.

"You're a good mom Quinn. Beth is fantastic. She sweet and polite, and so smart. You're doing an amazing job with her. I'm sure I could use a few pointers."

"Oh no. I think you're a really good mom too Santana." Quinn looked at Santana over her wine glass as she took another swig. The look on the other's woman face made her want to...

"Hey ladies, I'm so sorry to interrupt but imma head home." Gabby poked her head in the office. Santana got up and kissed her.

"I can't convince you to stay the night?"

"Sorry babe, I open tomorrow so I have to be there at six." She gave Santana another kiss.

"Okay, if you must. I love you."

"I love you too." They hugged and Gabby eyed Quinn from over Santana's shoulder. When they pulled apart, their eyes were still locked. "No funny business you two."

"Hey." Santana playfully smacked her girlfriend's shoulder. "We wouldn't dare."

"Not without me I'd hope." Santana laughed.

"That would never happen babe, I know Quinn's a knockout but keep dreaming."

"Aw rats, well you two have fun. It was a pleasure Quinn." She walked over to the couch and Quinn stood up, taking her hand and shaking it.

"Yes it was. The food was amazing, thank you."

"Any time Quinn, any time. Goodnight."

"Night." And Gabby was gone.

"A knockout?" Quinn questioned.

"Um, well you are. Gabby has eyes for you, I can tell. But I'll make sure she knows not to be inappropriate with you. Oh God! She wasn't was she, when I was with the girls?"

"No, not at all."

"Oh," Santana exhaled and put her hand on her chest. "Thank goodness, she can be very...forward."

"And you're okay with that?" She was astonished.

She just shrugged. "I love her and I trust her. I know she'd never go behind my back. If there's a woman she wants to be intimate with, I know she wouldn't dare go there without me."

"That doesn't bother you? The fact that she _wants _to be intimate with other women."

"Not at all. Her heart belongs to me, but her body doesn't. She's not my property, she's my girlfriend. It's just sex Quinn. Perhaps you should try it."

"Have sex? Been there done that."

"I mean have like a no strings attached type of situation. You said you don't want to be _with _anyone, that way you wouldn't be."

"Why are you trying to get me laid?" They both laughed and Santana picked up her legal pad that she had place between them.

"Sex keeps us healthy. Anyway, shall we finish up?"

The conversation turned to Noah's death and all the emotions she felt, and was still dealing with. They talked about Beth and Santana remarked on the psychological issues she might face because of growing up fatherless. It was almost midnight before they wrapped up.

"I'm going to go check on the girls again."

"They've been asleep for about three hours now, they're fine." Quinn said, looking at her phone.

"I know, but I always check on Santana periodically throughout the night, I can't help it."

"If you must." Quinn relented.

"I'll be right back."

Quinn got up shortly after to follow Santana. She walked up to Ana's bedroom where she and Beth were fast asleep. Santana was placing a kiss on Ana's head when Quinn got to the doorway.

"Hey." Quinn whispered. Santana looked up and smiled, she turned the bedside light off and walked to stand in front of Quinn.

"Maybe you two should stay here tonight. It got so late and I didn't think about you not having your car. I'd have to take you meaning I'd have to take Ana."

"That's right." Quinn folded one arm across her chest and put her chin in her other hand. "Shoot, I didn't even think about it. Well, I guess I don't really have a choice now do I?" She lifted one shoulder and Santana walked past her, she followed her with the sneaky suspicion she'd follow her wherever she lead, whenever.

"You can sleep in here." She walked into a room and turned the light on. It was furnished only with a queen sized bed and a TV hanging on the wall like a picture frame. "There's a bathroom right over there to your left. Need some pjs?"

"Yes, thank you." Santana left and Quinn sat on the bed. She returned with a white tee shirt and a pair of cotton, plaid pajama bottoms. She handed them to Quinn who thanked her.

"No problem. I'm sure this'll happen often. Well...goodnight."

"Goodnight. Hey, Santana?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is your middle name Diabla? Doesn't that mean devil?"

She laughed at the inquiry. "Yeah, My mom said I quote "gave her hell" when she was pregnant with me so they gave me the middle name, meaning she-devil."

"I must admit, that's hilarious. Hey," Santana turned back around, stopping herself from walking out the room. "I just had an idea. You should write a chapter in your book called "Why God?". I think that would be very fitting. When most people are faced with the death of a loved one they ask that question. I know I did, repeatedly. You could also maybe touch on how people blame God and get angry with him, and I guess whatever else you could come up with."

"Dammit Quinn!"

"What?" She asked a little startled.

"You're good, you're just really good. You inspire me."

"And you sound angry about it because...?"

"Because now my head is running rampant with ideas for that chapter. I won't be able to sleep." She told her with a frown on her face.

"Opps, sorry." Quinn bit her lip to hold back the smile that was forming.

"This isn't funny." Santana crossed her arms and her frown deepened. "I was done writing for the night, fresh out of ideas. I'll be up now. Thanks."

"I said sorry." Quinn bowed her head. Santana walked over to Quinn and put her pointer finger under her chin, lifting her head.

"Just stop being so brilliant." She smirked at her and mumbled something about it being unfair that Quinn got to sleep, as she strutted out the room.

Over the next couple weeks Santana and Quinn grew close mainly because it was difficult to detach Beth from Ana and vice versa. The two girls wanted to do everything together and neither of their mother's minded. This often lead to Beth staying over at Santana's house because she had the "coolest" play room, but Ana asked her mom if it was okay for them to spend the weekend at Quinn's. When Santana asked, Quinn was more than happy to say yes. It was the last thursday in September and the girls were sliding down the slide together while Quinn and Santana looked on.

"Hey, I wanna talked to you about something." Santana said as she turned to face Quinn.

"Wassup?"

"Well Amber...she needs to meet you."

Quinn lifted one eyebrow. "Needs?"

"Yeah. She doesn't like Ana going to people's homes she's never met, and even though I assured her you weren't a drug dealer or a serial killer..."

"How would you know?" Quinn said playfully.

Santana made a disbelieving face. "Anyway..." She drawled out. "I figured tomorrow would be perfect."

"Oh so she's coming?" The last friday in September was always reserved for back to school night.

"Yeah, she wouldn't miss it."

"What does she do, if I may ask?"

"You know 12th street catering?" Quinn nodded. "She owns that, plus a cafe down center city."

"Oh. Not bad."

"Not bad at all. Just...please excuse her."

"I haven't even met her yet." A smiled played on her lips.

"I know, I'm asking for your forgiveness in advance, just in case." The worry lines on Santana's beautiful face made Quinn concerned for whatever Amber may do.

"Just in case what?"

"She's like two different people sometimes and I have no idea which one is going to show up tomorrow. She can be a piece of work. Just, forgive her if she acts like a bitch."

Quinn placed her hand on Santana's knee. "You have my word."

**LATER ON THAT EVENING**

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Look what I drew!" Beth yelled and shoved a piece of paper in Quinn's face. It looked like a turkey, but she couldn't be sure.

"What is it kiddo?" She turned the paper around and then around again trying to make a connection as to what it could be.

"It's a cat."

"That's a cat?"

"Yes."

"Would you like mommy to help you?"

"Yes!" They walked to Beth's room holding hands and sat at Beth's art table.

"Okay, let's draw a circle for the head." Beth took out a purple crayon and did as instructed. "Now let's make two triangles for the ears." Quinn kneeled on the floor behind Beth and put her hand on her daughter's. They both drew the ears, followed by a nose, a mouth and whiskers. "There now all we have to add are the eyes. Think you can do it by yourself."

"Yes mommy, I can do it." She drew two circles and put two dots in the middle. "Like that?"

"Perfect." Beth dropped her crayon and lunged into Quinn's arms.

"Thank you mommy, thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. You know, I wish I could bottle up your enthusiasm and drink it kid."

Beth smiled. "Can I show Santana my cat? She's such a good artist and I want to impress her."

"Kid, you were just with her not too long ago, plus it's a school night."

"But mommy...she only lives two minutes from here, it won't be long." Beth's eyes were pleading.

"No. You two are together all the time, it won't kill you to wait until tomorrow to show her.

"But..."

"I said no kiddo." Beth's pout made Quinn almost give in, then she had a idea. "How about we Skype her?"

"Yeah! Come on!" Beth yelled before darting out her room to the living area. She climbed into the chair that sat in front of the desk where the desktop was kept . Quinn picked Beth up and sat her in her lap. She sent Santana a text and powered up her computer. They waited patiently to see Santana's icon say she was online. After five minutes Beth and Quinn saw Ana's face.

"Hey Bethany, hey Miss Q."

"Hello Ana."

"Santana looked what my mommy helped me make." Beth held up the picture of their cat.

"Wow Bethany, that's amazing. A purple cat? Why is she purple?" Quinn slid from under Beth realizing the two little girls were lost in each other so she walked to the kitchen. After grabbing an apple and rinsing it off she took a bite. Her phone rang with a ring tone that always made her smile.

"Hey big Santana, little Santana ignoring you too?"

She laughed. "Pretty much. So I'm nervous about you meeting Amber."

"Oh really? I couldn't tell that at all." Sarcasm laced her statement.

"Don't be a smart ass."

"I'm not." She laughed more at her friend's expense. "Why are you so nervous anyway?"

"I really don't know, I guess I just want her to like you. You spend a lot of time around Santana and I don't want Amber to dislike you because, I don't know, that could cause complications."

"Why?"

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, Amber is a piece of work and she wants what's best for junior. For whatever reason she thinks she always knows what's best."

"Don't worry San, I'll charm her pants off."

"Oh God, please don't, I'd die if...oh my God, I've never even thought about that. You're smoking hot, _apparently_ she's smoking hot, what if you two hit it off?"

"One, don't act like you don't know she's attractive, two, thank you for the compliment, three, I'll be charming but reserved...how's that sound?"

"Good, good." Santana responded sounding distracted.

"Were you this freaked out when Amber had to meet Gabby?"

"I really don't want to answer that."

**THE NEXT EVENING**

"Students, parents, thank you for attending back to school night. I'm your kindergarten teacher Miss Young. Welcome." Quinn listened as Miss Young went on about her plans for their children, a little into her speech Quinn saw Amber walk into the class. She was a vision, even more beautiful in person. Amber walked to the back of the class and stood next to Santana. All the children were in their assigned seats but Ana was waving and smiling at her other mother. After a half hour of speaking and entertaining parents questions, Miss Yong told everyone to help themselves to some refreshments. Quinn made her way over to where Beth, Santana, Ana, and Amber were collecting cookies.

"Miss Q, this is my mama. Mama, this is Miss Q, she's Beth's mommy." Ana announced.

Quinn gave Amber her best smile and reached out her hand. Amber took it and smiled back. "Pleasure to finally meet you, I've heard a lot about you." Amber said. Her voice was sultry and gravelly. The woman oozed sex appeal with do much of anything except being alive.

"Oh? All good things I hope."

"Of course good things mommy, who would say anything bad about you?" Beth said then stuffed two oatmeal raisin cookies in her mouth.

"Don't stuff your mouth kid."

Ana, Santana, and Amber had a good chuckle at Beth's attempt to apologize with too much food in her mouth, while Quinn just shook her head.

"Oh, I forgot my cupcakes in my car because I was running late." Amber said.

"Need any help?" Quinn offered.

"Sure, thank you." Amber started walking towards the door, and Quinn was about to follow before she felt a tug of her arm.

"Looks like she's the _not _crazy version of herself today." Santana whispered. "We got lucky." She winked at Quinn before she let go of her arm. Amber had a silver Mercedes GL-450. She opened the back latch and handed Quinn a tray of cupcakes, she pulled out a second tray then pressed a button making the latch close.

"So Quinn, you and Santana..."

"Oh no, no." Quinn said before Amber could finish her question.

"It's just that she talks about you... a lot."

"She does?"

"Yeah. She does. All good things, don't worry." She smiled and Quinn didn't know where her mind went. Why was Santana talking about her? And why did that result in Amber thinking there might be something between them?"

"She's in a relationship Amber." Quinn and Amber said nothing more as they walked back into the school.

Ana begged Quinn to come over so they could have a sleepover with her, Beth, and her two moms. Amber reluctantly agreed only after Quinn gave into the pleading eyes of the two five year olds. Santana went to call Gabby, but Ana stated it was her sleepover and everyone she wanted to come was already coming. After rolling her eyes at her daughter, Santana put her phone away. During the night the children played while the adults chatted. Santana allowed Amber and Quinn to get to know one another. Amber offered plenty of embarrassing Santana stories, much to the delight of Quinn.

Every so often Quinn would look over and Santana would knock the wind out of her as if she'd been punched. Even though they'd been around each other for some time, she still hadn't learned to control her yearning. Santana didn't help matters much just by being herself. At first glance, anyone with eyes could see how beautiful she is but Quinn had spent time getting to know the woman behind the face. She was spectacular. Intelligent, generous, silly, sweet, easy going. Santana was everything Quinn wanted in a significant other, but she was well aware why nothing could ever happen between them. It wasn't like Santana would ever want her in return anyway.

As she sat quietly and observed Santana and Amber's interactions, she pondered to herself how it is they weren't able to work it out. They laughed together, they finished each other's sentences, they seemed like two peas in a pod.

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"You should come spend the night more often." Ana said. She was sitting on Amber's lap on the couch. The girls wanted to watch The Princess and the frog and roped the adults into joining them. Quinn with Beth cuddled next to her and Santana was leaning on Amber on the opposite side of the sectional.

"If that's okay with your mommy, I'd love to."

"Amber, you know you're welcome here anytime. You're daughter lives here, I have no problem with you spending time with her wherever she's comfortable." Santana pinched Ana's cheek. Little Santana smiled at both her mom's then directed her attention back to the film.

Once the girls were asleep in Ana's room Amber went to bed in one of the guest rooms.

"How many rooms are in this house anyway?" asked Quinn.

"Seven."

"Why in the world do you need seven bedrooms and it's just you and Ana?"

"Well, there's my room, Santana's playroom, her bedroom, two guest rooms, a space for Gabby to call her own and an empty one." She paused and refilled her glass with more red wine. "And...that is a possible nursery."

"You and Gabby are talking kids?"

"No. But I want more and I have to settle down eventually. I'm thirty five, that's old."

"It's not old."

"It's old enough that if I want more children I needs to get on with it." Santana gulped down her second glass and poured the remaining wine in her glass. "I'll get another bottle."

When she returned Quinn picked up the conversation where they left off. "So you want more kids? With Gabby?"

"You know what's funny?" Quinn shook her head as Santana poured more wine in both the glasses. "I had a dream last night that we had two kids together, then adopted one."

"No way. Five kids, that's a lot."

"That's perfect actually. Too bad I can't get you pregnant, I'd try right now."

"Okay, I think you've reached your wine limit." Quinn got up from the couch in Santana's office and took her glass from her.

"Hey, I wasn't done with that."

"Oh yes you are." She sat both glasses on the desk and before she could turn around, Santana pinned her to it. She place both of her hands on the desk on either side of Quinn and pressed her front into her back. Quinn was instantly aroused feeling Santana's breasts rubbed against her. "San, what..." She swallowed hard. "W-what are you doing."

"Shut up." Santana put both her hands flat on Quinn's stomach and slowly slid them up to cup her breasts through her shirt. Quinn instinctively pushed her hips back, causing Santana to pull her closer. She massaged her left breast and with and placed her other hand on her neck, moving her hair to the side. Santana started to place light kisses on her neck which quickly turned into hard bites. She pulled back to look at her handy work and smirked. She ran her tongue from the base of her neck to behind her ear, Quinn whimpered in response. She hadn't the slightest clue how Santana knew that was her weak spot. She continued to suck on her neck and moved her hands to the front of Quinn's jeans. The slow pace Santana was moving was torturing Quinn. Once her jeans were unbuttoned and unzipped, Santana slid her left hand under Quinn's panties. She pulled Quinn's hair back with her free hand and Quinn yelped but laid her head back. Santana sucked harder and Quinn couldn't contain her moan any longer.

"Oh my God, you're so wet for me. Fuck..." Santana's hand buried deep in Quinn's pants, rubbing circles, collecting her desire on her pointer and middle finger. Tired of the teasing, Santana yanked her hand from inside Quinn's jeans and turned the other woman around. She wasted no time pulling her jeans and underwear down. Quinn stepped out of one leg of her jeans while they hung on the ankle of her other leg. Santana grabbed her hips and lifted her on the desk, dropping to her knees as soon as Quinn was sat. She took a long, slow lick of Quinn causing them to both moan. Santana had never tasted anything so good in her life. She began to devour Quinn, and they both were enjoying every second. Santana's lips wrapped around her and she sucked then swirled her tongue in big circles, then repeated, driving Quinn wild. Quinn's hand's pulled at Santana's hair, she was ready to come and Santana could tell. She couldn't wait to lick all of her up, in fact she'd been thinking of this moment since...

Santana jolted awake, alone in her bed. She sat up and looked around her room, placed one hand on her bed to hold herself up and the other covered her rapidly beating heart. Her breathing was uneven and there was an uncomfortable throbbing between her legs. Then her hand inspected her body in the dark. _Clothes still on_, she thought to herself. Somewhere between half asleep and half awake, she laid back down slowly. A yawn escaped her lips as she rubbed her tired eyes. Before she drifted back into a peaceful slumber she mumbled to herself.

"Damn...it was just a dream."

**THIS WAS BASICALLY A FILLER CHAP. THE NEXT CHAP WILL HAVE MUCH MORE MEAT.**

**WHEN YOU IMAGINE AMBER, JUST IMAGINE SCARLETT JOHANSSON, MKAY?**

**FOLLOW MY TUMBLR: sgt-awesome I'M GOING TO BE MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND JUNK ON THERE ABOUT MY STORIES, ALSO I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. : )**

**COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS?**


	3. KINDA IMPORTANT

Hello awesome readers who I thoroughly enjoy writing for. I'm so sorry about my absence. At first, it was to get all these Quinntana ideas out of my head, so I was taking a brief break from "Control" to focus on my multi chapter fics as well as the one shots I'm itching to write. Regrettably, I'll have to take a hiatus with no timetable for my return. For those of you who could care less, stop reading, for those of you who enjoy the stories I write and will miss them, I'm sorry. I love to write and above all else, I LOVE talking to you guys about these stories. I love this site and there are some authors that if they had to take an indefinite hiatus, I'd be upset. So for those who care, I apologize again. Sometimes luck can be bad, I've had some of that lately. My laptop (sorta) blew up, in flames...well there was smoke. Anyway it's completely fried, along with SOOOO much of my writing (thankfully not all of it) and I haven't the slightest clue when I'll get another one. NOW of course I have access to this site through my phone (hence this update) BUT writing (and editing) 5,000 to 10,000 word chapters would be SUCH a pain. Personally I think my writing would suffer because of it. If I'm going to write, I want it to be at least half way decent. I'm not the best, no, but I want what I write to at least be of some quality. SO unless any of you would like to purchase and ship me a brand spanking new laptop, this is the last time you'll hear from me, for I don't know how long. SUPER SORRY, but life happens to get in our way sometimes. Still talk to me if you like, I'll keep up with my email. Even send me prompts still because I'll be writing by hand from now on. OH that reminds me, I WILL NOT STOP writing these stories. I WILL continue on, you just won't be able to read it. The second I get anywhere near a computer, I'll update, but I certainly can't tell you when (and when/if I update, they will be sporadic). Once again, sorry. I totally love (most) you guys! I've made some awesome acquaintances because of this site (who I talk to about more than just writing but especially that), and I've garnered some loyal readers. You're freaking awesome. You inspire me and give me the courage to write my own original work (maybe one day you'll read a book I wrote). So anyway, (sorry, I'm long-winded) thanks for reading these stories and being your awesome selves. Sorry to leave you like this.

: (

-Management


	4. Chapter 4

** Thank you for the reviews and alerts, etc. Thank you so much for reading, I really LOVE to write, like SO much. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have someone read it. It's more than appreciated.**

**Kisses**

**-Dee**

* * *

Quinn Fabray was beautiful. She was gorgeous really. And she was temptation in a five foot six package. As alluring as the woman was, Santana couldn't even begin to think about pursuing anything with her. Firstly, she was in a relationship, secondly, and far more importantly, she was her daughter's best friend's mom. She wasn't positive but she figured that wouldn't bode well with her daughter. Although Ana was only six, she had the mind of an individual far older. The conversations she had with her daughter would often amaze her. Particularly when they had their first discussion about sexuality and why she had two moms. Ana understood what gay and straight was, she even had a clear understanding of bisexuality. The little girl was wise beyond her years and Santana knew that if she had even the slightest chance with Quinn, her daughter wouldn't approve. She'd probably argue that them dating could be detrimental to her and Beth's friendship, if things went south then that could affect the girls. Santana didn't need her daughter to inform her of the inevitable complexities that'd accompany pursuing Quinn, she was well aware. Thankfully she did have a girlfriend and even though Quinn made her heart race, she could hide behind her relationship.

Problem was, Quinn did these little things that drove Santana wild. She quirked her eyebrow when she wanted to say something but chose not to. She scrunched her nose when she laughed too hard. She had perfect posture and chastised Beth _and _Ana when they would slouch. She pursed her lips when she painted. She danced when there was no music playing. She loved her daughter and she loved Ana just as much. She was incredibly strong and the smartest woman Santana had ever met. She didn't take anything too seriously and she played with the girls like she was their age. They'd play hide and seek, freeze tag, water gun battles, laser tag. Santana wouldn't join, she'd just watch the woman and two girls play. Quinn drove her up a wall with her utter adorableness, and effortless sexiness.

The two little girls hating being apart, so over the past year, Quinn and Santana saw a lot of each other. Sometimes Quinn would take the girls and sometimes Santana would, but for the most part, they did everything together, the four of them. Sometimes Amber would come and sometimes Gabby, but never together. This lead to Quinn and Santana becoming exceptionally close, and even spending time together without their daughters. The first time they spent any alone time together was a day Santana was having a bit of a battle with her latest book about seven months prior. Since Quinn was the inspiration behind a lot of the content, she called her to ask for her assistance. It was mid afternoon during a school day. Quinn invited her over stating she was painting and couldn't leave her home without it finished. When Santana arrived Quinn took her into what she'd made her art studio. Quinn tried to start a conversation but Santana shushed her and told her to keep painting. Santana pulled out her laptop and began to type, periodically looking up at Quinn. Just being in her presence flooded her with inspiration. She could refrain from being romantic with the woman but after that day, she couldn't stay away from Quinn, not even if she tried. Without even realizing it, Quinn had become her muse.

There were many more days like that one where Santana would sit in Quinn's art room while she painted and she'd type on her laptop. It became a routine for them since Quinn still wasn't working and Santana could work from anywhere she chose. Some days they'd talk, other's, absolutely no words were exchanged. Just lingering looks and shy smiles.

That wasn't the only thing that was routine between the women. Everyday, even days they didn't spend together, they'd go to the school, get the girls, and let them play in the park for an hour or so. That was until it got too cold and they started heading to the YMCA. The girls would run off and play while Santana and Quinn found a place to sit and chat. One of Santana's favorite customs was the one they started last April. The four of them decided to go see the cherry blossom exhibit at Fairmount park. Ana suggested they do it every year forever to which the other three happily agreed. The women also kept the ice cream tradition going. On the last day of kindergarten the four of them headed to Baskin Robbins and celebrated one year down. Then on the first day of first grade, a couple of weeks ago, they all shared Cotton candy flavored ice cream.

Quinn was beautiful, sweet, intelligent, sexy, loving, and completely off-limits. It's not like Santana didn't love her girlfriend, she did, but there was a pull she felt towards Quinn. Something unlike anything she'd ever felt. She tried to ignore the fact that Quinn probably felt it too. The looks they shared and the sometimes unnecessary touching. Not to mention the blushing. But Santana loved it, the woman blushed so easily. None of what she felt or thought about Quinn mattered. Nothing could happen between them and she accepted that fact. Santana was just grateful to have Quinn in her life at all.

Another tradition that's formed is Quinn taking Ana and Beth to New York for any one of Marley's kid's birthdays. This weekend they were celebrating her oldest's ninth birthday. Santana wanted to go but she didn't think she could handle being around Marley again.

* * *

_"Thank you so much for helping set up, you're a lifesaver."_

_"Anything for Beth, you know that." Santana meant every word. Beth had become a part of her family and so had Quinn._

_"I'm here, the party can begin!" The unfamiliar voice startled Santana. A very short, very pretty brunette walked into the living room. "Oh, and who do we have here." Santana was nearly blinded by the brightness of the woman's mega watt smile._

_"I'm Santana." She offered her hand which the woman accepted._

_"I'm Rachel, Quinn's only friend." Quinn scoffed._

_"You're not her only friend, what about Beth?" Santana asked teasingly. They shared a laugh while hazel eyes shot daggers at the both of them._

_"I have friends thank you very much. It's so nice to see you two getting along already, at my expense."_

_"Oh don't be a baby." Rachel sat down the mountain of bags she'd carried in with her._

_"Does Beth really need all that."_

_"I have to spoil her, it's in the Godmother guidelines. So...this is the famous Santana?"_

_"Famous?" The blush that spread across Quinn's face peaked Santana's curiosity even more. "She talks about me?"_

_"Oh sure. She, oomph." Whatever Rachel was going to say was halted by the bag Quinn shoved in her chest._

_"Take that and put it on the table, along with the rest of these." She gestured to all the bags on the floor, some Rachel's some Santana's. She'd done her own amount of shopping for the birthday girl. Although she wanted to know what Quinn was saying about her behind her back, she decided to wait til later to question Rachel._

_"Anyway," Rachel said as she placed another bag on the table reserved for gifts. "Where's my birthday girl?"_

_"She's taking a nap with Ana."_

_"Oh, your little one right?" She looked at Santana. "She's adorable, and she looks _exactly_ like you."_

_"You've met her?" She asked, curious._

_"Plenty. She and Beth are joined at the hip so whenever Quinn's brought Beth in the last few months, Ana was right there with her. She's a sweetheart, and my boys love her."_

_"Thank you, that's very sweet." Santana didn't mind that Rachel had been around her daughter, she trusted Quinn._

_"Where are my godsons anyway?" Quinn questioned._

_"With their father, the party isn't due to start for another hour right?" Rachel looked at her phone for the time._

_"Right."_

_"Well then he'll be here in two, Nate has no clue how to be punctual."_

_"Speaking of children," Santana said. "I'll go check on ours, excuse me." Santana walked towards Beth's room, leaving Rachel and Quinn. She peaked her head in and both girls were sound asleep. The girl's were adorably spooning with a teddy bear between them. Santana quietly closed the door and headed back to the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard what Quinn and Rachel were talking about in her absence._

_"Holy fuck Quinn!"_

_"I know. Shh, she's just in the other room."_

_"Who cares if she hears me, I'm sure she knows how hot she is. I mean my God that woman is drop dead gorgeous. No wonder you can't stop talking about her."_

_"Shut up, I don't talk about her that much and she and I aren't even...like that."_

_"Please, you talk about her so much you don't even realize you're doing it. And the only reason you aren't hittin that is because you're chicken."_

_"More like she's in a committed relationship and our little ones are best friends. So shut your mouth."_

_"I truly do not understand you lesbians." Santana heard Quinn groan in frustration._

_"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"_

_"It _means_, women don't have to worry about getting each other pregnant...you two should be humping like rabbits." Explained Rachel._

_"What part of she's in a relationship don't you understand."_

_"What are you hiding?"_

_"What?"_

_"You're hiding something, you keep deflecting the subject of sex."_

_"Don't psycho analyze me Rachel." Just then Santana remembered that Rachel was a psychologist. There was a pause before she heard Rachel respond._

_"All I'm saying is that she's a hot piece of ass."_

_"Will you quit it!" Quinn said harshly but in a hushed voice. "Santana is _so _much more than a pretty face. She's talented, charming, generous, a great mom. She's not just a..."_

_"I knew it."_

_"You knew what?"_

_"You really..."_

_Knowing that what she'd heard so far was probably way more than Quinn wanted to hear she decided to make herself known before Rachel could finish her thought. "Those little demons are out like a light, but so cute. Santana is holding Beth with Mr. Giggles in between them."_

_"I'll never understand why Beth named her bear that. Children confuse me." Rachel said._

_"How so." Quinn wondered. Her tone was neutral and both her and Rachel acted as if they weren't just engaging in a heated debate._

_"Well, the bear clearly doesn't _giggle_. What's the correlation?"_

_"She's six Rach." Quinn said flatly._

* * *

_The women were just about done when the girls came into the room. Ana's always cranky when she first wakes up so she walked over to Santana and held her arms open to be held. In contrast Beth was fully re-energized and ran over to Rachel, shouting her name. They hugged for a long time before Beth pulled her over to where Ana and Santana were cuddling on the couch. Ana greeted Rachel and Santana could tell that her little girl like Beth's godmom. Beth hopped on the couch and snuggled close to Santana. Ana was on her right and Beth was on her left and the two little girls held hands on Santana's lap. She felt so content with her two favorite little people huddled closely. She thought about the numerous times the four of them been out and people would mistake them for a family. She and Quinn always played along and joked about it after, but with those two girls in her arms, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if they really were a family._

_Guests started to arrive shortly after the girls awoke from their nap. Beth was so excited she got up and dragged Ana with her to greet everyone. Santana recognized some parents and children from Beth and Ana's class. The rest were friends and family of Quinn, which Beth proudly introduced to Santana and Ana. A blonde woman with a toddler on her hip came in, followed by three other children and a tall woman with auburn hair. Beth ran to the woman with darker hair and leapt into her arms. The woman refered to her as little Quinn instead of by her name but no one seemed to mind. The blonde smiled and waited patiently. Quinn walked over and the blonde tensed up. Suddenly Santana realized who the family of six was. Marley, her wife Brittany and their four kids. Two of the children, Brittany clearly gave birth to. They looked exactly like their mother, they were adorable. Santana watched Quinn give Brittany an awkward hug and then give Marley a long, loving hug. She took the smallest child from Brittany's arms and held her over her head, making faces at her. The little girl giggled and squirmed. When Quinn pulled her back down and hugged her the girl kissed her._

_Santana didn't get a chance to meet Marley or Brittany right away. Brittany was immersed in her picture taking and Marley was looking over their four children. Sitting observing everyone and keeping to herself was more Santana's speed anyway. People and their behaviors fascinated her from an early age and the fixation only grew with time. The fact that Brittany didn't like Quinn much might be unnoticeable to the untrained eye, but Santana could tell immediately. Marley's feelings toward Quinn were even more obvious. Santana was pretty sure she understood why Brittany might not be too found of her wife's good friend. She wasn't sure how'd she feel if her wife dropped everything to go to a different state to comfort the woman who broke her heart a decade earlier. Santana sympathized with Brittany and found herself respecting the blonde. Even though she wasn't Quinn's biggest fan, she put aside her dislike for her to be there for Beth._

_Gabby showed up within minutes of Amber. The two in the same room was never exactly pleasant. Amber didn't approve of she and Gabby's "alternative" lifestyle, but minded her business for the most part. Santana hoped no drama would occur on the little girl's sixth birthday._

_After they sung the birthday song and Beth dove into her pile of presents, Santana stood outside on Quinn's balcony, enjoying the July heat. Summer had always been her favorite time of the year ever since she was little. Her and the neighborhood kids would open up the fire hydrant and play in the water. Santana grew up in the heart of south Philly and although they didn't struggle mightily, they didn't have much. So those hot July and August days, she'd take pleasure in playing in her version of a pool in the middle of the street._

_Marley interrupted her reminiscing when she joined her on the balcony, closing the door behind her._

_"I don't think we've been properly introduced." She held out her hand for Santana to shake. "I'm Marley."_

_"Santana, nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you."_

_"Likewise." The way she said it instantly made Santana uncomfortable. "Actually she can't stop talking about you and your _brilliant_ books." Now Santana was truly curious. Rachel claimed that Quinn spoke of her often and now Marley was stating the same. She wondered if she herself talks of Quinn frequently without even realizing it. She made a mental note to pay attention to the amount of times she mentions her._

_"Oh yeah? You haven't read?"_

_"Apparently I'm like the only one. Listen Santana, I don't know what's going on between you and Quinn..."_

_"There's nothing going on between Quinn and I." Santana was past agitated._

_Marley let out a bitter, disbelieving chuckle, shaking her head. "I see the way you look at her, I'm not blind."_

_Although this woman had no right to be in her face, discussing Quinn, she made Santana take a moment to step back and evaluate her interactions with the woman who had become a close friend. There was an undeniable, unwanted desire, but she tried to ignore it. There were those sweet smiles and lingering stares, but they never spoke of them. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she might not have been as discreet as she would have like, which made her even more uncomfortable._

_"I really don't know what you're talking about Marley, we're just friends."_

_"Yeah whatever. Look, she's still very fragile, you shouldn't even begin to think..."_

_She had to cut her off again. "Why does what's going through my head have anything to do with you. It's really none of your business."_

_"Quinn is my business and I don't want to see her get hurt." She stated nastily._

_"Or you don't want to see her with anybody else but you." That shut Marley up. "There is nothing between us except friendship and even if there was, which there isn't, it still wouldn't concern you. You're married with four kids, focus on them." Santana spat._

_"Don't tell me..." The sliding door opening stopped Marley mid sentence and Quinn's face stopped Santana from slapping her. Win, win._

_"Hey, there you guys are, we're playing musical chairs, per Beth's request of course, come back in." Quinn was even more chipper than usual and Santana found it endearing. Then she felt guilty for thinking that especially after the confrontation she'd just had with Quinn's ex._

_"Yeah, right behind you." Marley glared at her over her shoulder but Santana ignored it and followed them back into the apartment._

* * *

_"Did you have a good time kiddo?" Quinn questioned Beth as they gathered up her gifts._

_"Yes mommy it was the bestest birthday ever."_

_"I'm glad." Santana, Ana, and Quinn all picked up their share of gifts to take into Beth's room._

_"Bethany?" Quinn never called her daughter by her name. In fact, Santana was certain this was only the third time she had ever heard Quinn use the little girls given name._

_"Yes." Beth said timidly._

_"Why is your room such a mess. Quinn stood in the middle of the room while Santana and Ana hung back near the doorway. "Come here." She sat down the gifts she was carrying and Beth did the same. "Why isn't your room clean? I told you to clean it before you two laid down."_

_"I know, but we fell asleep."_

_"Didn't you tell me you were going to clean before you did anything else?"_

_"Yes."_

_"So then why didn't you?" Beth hung her head and shrugged. "If a person doesn't have their word?"_

_"They don't have anything." Beth finished._

_"Do you know what that means or are you just giving me lip service?"_

_"It means that when I say something out my mouth, it should be the truth and I should follow through."_

_"If you know what it means, why did you give me your word then do the opposite."_

_"I can help her clean up." Ana spoke up._

_"Why didn't you help earlier?" It was Ana's turn to hang her head and shrug. "What were you two doing that you couldn't clean?" She looked back and forth between the best friends. Santana simply observed the interaction between the three._

_"Ana, Beth, when you tell me or anyone else you're going to do something, you do it." Quinn said sternly. "Do you understand?" Both of them nodded. "Good. Now, seeing as how you helped her make this mess, you definitely will be assisting her in cleaning it up. I can't believe you left your room like this knowing we were having company. Silly me didn't think to check your room because I had your word you'd clean it. Since you didn't, you two will clean it now, put all these toys away and go straight to bed. Tomorrow, Ana will be going home."_

_"Nooooooo!" Beth cried out. Ana put her arm around her shoulder and looked like she was about to cry too. Santana almost couldn't believe how attached they were but then again they are both only children._

_"I don't want to hear it and I don't want puppy dog eyes from either of you. Kid, Ana," Quinn bent down in front of them as she spoke in a softer tone. "Keeping your word is the most important thing you can do. Now I understand that sometimes things can get in the way, but this isn't one of those times. Don't either of you complain to me because I could send Ana home tonight. I'm not just because it's your birthday but you need to be taught a lesson."_

_"I understand mommy and I'm sorry, can't Santana stay? Please mommy?" Ana hadn't been anywhere but Quinn's in four days and before that she spent a week at Amber's. Santana was thrilled to have her little girl spend time at home but then again was apprehensive. Ana was always so miserable without Beth, so she knew she'd have a cranky Ana on her hands._

_"I'm sorry kid, the answer's no."_

_"But Miss Q..."_

_"Santanita, what did Quinn say?" Ana turned around to her mother then back to Quinn who stood up straight. "You two do what Quinn said and get ready for bed, no goofing around."_

_"Okay." They said together then split apart, starting on the mess they'd made. _

_"And kid?" Beth looked up at her mother. "Did you put aside all the toys you don't play with anymore to give to the Ronald McDonald house tomorrow?" Beth nodded. "Good, don't forget to set aside one of your new gifts too." Quinn walked out the room and so did Santana, closing the door behind her._

_"You don't think you were a little hard on them? It is Beth's birthday."_

_"Santana, there are only four reason's I punish her, if she messes up in school, if she doesn't keep her word, if she disrespects herself or anyone else, or if she lies. You've known me long enough to know that and I don't care if it's Christmas, she's still getting punished." Quinn picked up a thrash bag and started cleaning up. Santana did the same. They both worked in silence for a bit before Santana brought up what she'd been dying to talk to Quinn about._

_"You know Marley is still in love with you right?" Quinn didn't move for a couple of beats then resumed straighten up._

_"Why would you say that?"_

_"So you do know?" She stated more than asked._

_"She's married."_

_"Doesn't mean she isn't still madly in love with you."_

_"I don't think so." She wasn't exactly convincing Santana that she had the wrong idea._

_"I know so." She paused but Quinn didn't say anything else. "Do you still have feelings for her?"_

_"She'll always have a special place in my heart but no, not anymore."_

_"Oh. Well, I'm pretty sure she'd drop her wife like a bad habit if you gave her the smallest glimmer of hope."_

* * *

Yes, the woman who once shared Quinn's bed was very much still in love with her, much to the dismay of Santana. She knew she had no right to feel that way but it didn't stop her. And she had no desire to be around a hostile Marley on her home turf so allowing Quinn and the girls to go without her wasn't a tough call. Her alone time with Gabby had been lacking due to her touring and promoting her latest book "The Human Condition: Death. So having the house all to themselves was a God send.

Gabby had a romantic lunch all set up by the time Santana returned from dropping Ana off at Quinn's. As she walked towards her girlfriend, she envisioned Quinn, which was more than distracting. That had happened more and more lately. When she dropped her daughter off, Quinn had taken her breath away with the simple cardigan and jeans ensemble she had on. Shaking images of Quinn away, she hugged her girlfriend. Gabby pulled out her chair and lit two long, white candles at their dinning room table. She hurried to the kitchen and returned with a plate of spaghetti and shrimp, Santana's favorite. The only noise was the soft jazz music playing in the background and Santana's moans of approval with each bite.

"Damn babe, you put your foot in this." She placed another fork full in her mouth.

"Thanks." She smiled and stood up. "More wine?"

"Yes please." Gabby refilled her glass and bent down to peck her lips. Once they pulled apart, Santana took a swig of her wine. She looked up to see Gabby giving her an intense look, one that was normally reserved for sexy times. Santana pulled on Gabby's shirt to bring her closer. Gabby bent back down to capture her lips. At first the kiss was slow, and soft. Soon it turned into frenzied and rough. Quinn completely forgotten, Santana grabbed Gabby by her waist to pull her down into her lap, but Gabby parted from her lips and stood up quickly.

"What's wrong babe?"

"There's something very serious that we need to discuss, then we can have sex. Hopefully celebratory sex?"

"Okay. What's up?"

"Santana, I love you and I love Ana so much. I really think we make a great pair. In fact, I think we're the perfect pair." Gabby put her hand on Santana's cheek as a small smile formed on her lips. "You're the only woman I've ever been with that makes me want this."

"Want what?"

"This." Gabby looked around the spacious dinning room. "Us. A home, a family. I've sort of always lived life never knowing or caring what happened next. Somewhere along the way, I started to care. You made me care."

"Aw baby, that's so sweet. Is that why you made us this lovely lunch? To show me how much you care? Because you don't have to do anything special, I already know." Santana tried to pull Gabby's lips closer but she wouldn't let her.

"Santana, part of this was me showing you I care, yes. But there's something I want to ask you and I thought a nice romantic lunch would be the perfect setting." Gabby walked over to the china cabinet and opened one of the draws. She pulled out a tiny black velvet box and Santana's heart momentarily stopped working. Gabby stood in front of her and took a deep breath before getting down on one knee. "Santana Diabla Lopez, will you make an honest woman out of me? Will you be my wife?"

She opened the box revealing a beautiful platinum band with princess cut diamond sitting on top of it. It was simple but flawless. Much like Santana how saw herself, and was sure that's how Gabby saw her too. She had no clue Gabby was even thinking of marriage. They'd only slightly discussed it but never had a serious conversation about the matter. Santana felt awful because her first thought was of Quinn. She knew she couldn't marry Gabby when she had all these feelings for her daughter's best friend's mom. It was wrong but she thought maybe she'd get past them and move forward with Gabby. However, with Gabby presenting forever to her, she realized it wasn't what she wanted. She couldn't carry on with the woman when her feelings for Quinn were growing every day.

"Gabby... I, I had no idea you... uh were thinking about this."

"Well I am and I have and I'm pretty much done thinking about it. I want to do this. So...what do you say?"

"Gabby..." Santana said, regretfully. Gabby snapped the box shut and stood up all in one motion. "Gabby..." Santana tried again.

"No, wait a minute..." She paused and backed away from where Santana remained seated. "You don't want this?" She shook her head as if Santana not accepting right away never occurred to her. The tears started and Santana felt even worse. "You don't want to spend your life with me?"

"Gabby..."

"No! Either you do, or you don't!"

"I'm really not ready to be married again." She tried.

"That's bullshit! You haven't been with her in five years! And we've been together for two and a half years, how could you not want to move forward." Santana stood and closed the space between them. Gabby gripped Santana's dress shirt. "I give you all of me and you don't want it? How?" She asked through her tears.

"Gabby..." Santana tried to hug her but got away.

"No! Either you want to move forward or you want to end this."

"What?! I'm just not ready right now, that's no reason to throw away over two years, Gabby come on."

"What's it going to be Santana?" When she didn't receive a response she darted out the room. Santana sighed and followed her. Gabby was in her bedroom frantically pulling things out the two draws Santana had designated for her.

"Gabby, seriously, come on. Don't leave, please." She couldn't allow Gabby to walk out of her house without at least putting up a fight, the woman deserved that much. But Santana knew she'd loss her, it was over. Gabby wasn't the type of woman to get her marriage proposal turned down and stay.

"Just get out and let me pack. Seriously Santana." Gabby still her movements and stared at Santana with desperation in her eyes.

"Okay." Came Santana's quite response.

After Gabby's departure from her life and home, Santana sat at the dinning room table she was just having lunch with her girlfriend at. Gabby's plate was inches from hers, unfinished. Santana thought long and hard about downing the rest of the wine bottle still sat on the table in front of her but she needed to talk to someone, preferably while sober. Quinn was on her way to New York with their two little ones, and Gabby was her other best friend. All her life Santana had been a bit of a loner and was seriously regretting it now. It wasn't that she wasn't a people person, she just prefered the company of a good book. Without many options, she stood up and headed to her car, decided on the only place left for her to go.

* * *

"So that's it? You're broken up?"

"Yep, that's it." Santana said solemnly. She didn't know it would hurt this much. She threw back the rest of her wine and reached for the bottle on the coffee table. So much for being sober. She sat her glass down choosing to drink from the bottle instead.

"Hey, you can't just chug from a bottle of wine that expensive!" Her ex-wife yelled.

"Shut it Amber!" She titled the bottle back again, taking a longer swig.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before you two were at each other's throats." Amber's very beautiful, very pregnant fiancé, Hanna, entered the family room.

"But, do you know how much that bottle cost? I whipped it out because she came to the door looking like a kicked puppy and she abuses the bottle like that?" Amber changed her tune at the look her fiancé gave her. "Sorry sweetie, you go lay down, we'll play nice." She tried to convince.

"I think I'll stay, she looks like she needs all the support she can get." She waddled over to the opposite couch and sat next to Amber. They both looked at Santana down the rest of the bottle.

"It's just that..." Santana slurred a bit. "I thought I'd have more time to figure this thing out, I didn't know she'd propose." She looked into Hanna's baby blues. "Was I wrong? Like...did I just make a mistake?"

"I can't answer that for you Santana but I will say this, if you didn't immediately jumped for joy and say yes, then you probably didn't want to marry her. Something like that Santana, you just know, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess. I just, I just n-never wanted to h-hurt her. Can I get some more wine?" She waved the empty bottle back and forth and Amber got up to retrieve another bottle. She uncorked it and handed it to her ex-wife. Santana noted that it was far less expensive.

"I'm sure you didn't intend to hurt her, but let me ask, why'd you say no?" Inquired Amber.

"I, I can't tell you."

Amber looked at Hanna who just shrugged. "Okay, why can't you tell me?"

"Because it's bad." She whispered.

"Did you cheat?" When Santana didn't immediately deny it, Amber shot up off the couch. "Santana Lopez! You cheated on her?! What the actual fuck?!"

"All the yelling isn't good for the baby." Hanna tugged on Amber's sleeve to get her to sit down again. "And watch your mouth, do you want our daughter's first word to be an F bomb?

"I didn't cheat."

"Why didn't you just say that?" Amber was clearly annoyed with her.

"I wanted to cheat though, so she couldn't have been the one...right?"

"Once again," Hanna started. "We can't tell you that, no one can."

"How am I supposed to know what's right and what's wrong? I thought you were 'the one' and how _wrong _I was." Her lips wrapped around the bottle as she chugged some more.

"Okay, I'll ignore that because you're slightly drunk." Amber said as Hanna chuckled by her side, her wavy blonde hair bouncing with her body.

"What are you going to name her?" Hanna and Amber glanced at each other, confused by the sudden change of topic but otherwise didn't say anything about it.

"We have no clue." Amber supplied.

"Same problem we had huh?" She poured more wine down her throat. "Well you two better figure it out soon, she'll be here in what, like a month?"

"More like two and a half weeks." Amber rubbed her fiance's belly and they smile at each other. When Amber started dating Hanna Marin about six months after she and Amber separated, Santana was a bit miffed about it. Hanna worked at the publishing office that published Santana's work. The two had met during a party when Santana's first book hit the New York Times best seller list. Santana thought something might be up but otherwise ignored it. When Amber admitted they were dating Santana accused her of cheating but Amber vehemently denied it. She claimed that when her fire for Santana had dimmed a bit, a new one was lit for the blonde, she explained that she simply could not help it. Four and a half years later, they're engaged with a baby on the way and Santana couldn't be happier for the pair. Also she was glad she got along with her daughter's other parent's spouse. If they didn't that could have led t all sorts of battles Santana had no desire to fight.

"Okay so I'll help."

"No way drunky." Amber laughed at Hanna's use of the nickname.

"Aww come on!" Santana pleaded with a pout on her lips.

"Ana suggested we name her Bethany because it's, and I quote, the most perfect name ever." Amber mocked.

"She did not?"

"Yep."

"Those two are so in love." Commented Amber.

"What?" That made Santana sit up a bit straighter and deposit her bottle on the table. "No they aren't they're just very close, Ana and Beth have been the only child for the last six years. They're like sisters."

"Yeah, sure." Amber said, unconvinced.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Hanna jumped in. "They're just strangely close Santana, even for best friends. Studies show that children expose to same-sex parents have a higher chance of being homosexual."

Santana stood from the couch. "I am _not _making my daughter gay!"

"Whoa, Santana, calm down, that's not what I'm saying it's just that..."

"No Hanna, it's very clear what you're saying. She's not gay alright and besides you can't make someone gay, it's not a choice, trust me."

"Santana, I get that you're inebriated and hurting but don't come in here yelling at my woman. Now have a seat drunky." Santana unceremoniously flopped back down.

"Santana, uh, everyone in this room is gay, I'm not judging. Look at me." She gestured to her huge baby bump. "I'm bringing a child into this world and she will have two mommies, I'm just saying that from my observations of them two...well they just seem to care very deeply for each other."

"Duh Hanna, they're best friends, of course they care about each other, and they spend all their time together, that's all. Santana is _not _gay." That was her biggest fear. She knew what it was like to grow up confused and alone with her desires. Ones that she couldn't even begin to understand which made her feel alienated and scared. Then once she learned what gay was, she knew that's what her weird feelings towards girls meant. Her parents loved and accepted her but not all of her Catholic family did. And after she came out, she lost a few friends too. Santana knew how hard it was to grow up gay and she did not want that for her child. As hypocritical as it was, she'd be upset if her daughter wasn't straight, it's just not something she wished for her child. No one _wants _their kid to be gay, she'd accept it if that were the case, but she wouldn't like it.

"Santana..."

"Ana's not going to be gay alright, I don't care what your 'studies' say." The three women sat quietly for a few moments. "I feel like shit."

"You know where the toilet is." Amber said as she clicked the TV on. Hanna snatched the remote out her hand and turned it off.

"Don't be insensitive, she's in pain."

"Sorry." Mumbled Amber.

"That's not what I meant. I feel like shit emotionally. I'll probably be alone forever." She picked the bottle up again and resumed her drinking.

"San, you'll find someone, I'm sure of it." Amber said, sweetly.

She's pretty sure she's found that thing that makes up romance movies and that stuff they sing about in love songs. Problem was, that certain someone was a woman she couldn't date.

* * *

Santana rushed through the hallways of William Penn. She was in the middle of an interview with Good Day Philadelphia when she received a phone call she couldn't take. As soon as the director yelled cut, she pulled her phone out to listen to the message of a clearly agitated principal. Santana rounded the corner and spotted Quinn, Ana, Beth, a woman and a little boy she didn't recognize who was sporting a fresh shiner. She was kneeled down in front of Ana in a heartbeat.

"Baby, you okay?" Ana nodded but Santana moved her hands up and down her body, checking for injuries. The little girl looked and felt fine. She hugged her close to her body then pulled her away. "Care to tell me what happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened." The woman, who Santana assumed was the little boy's mother, spoke up. "Your overly sensitive and aggressive daughter assaulted my son."

"Excuse me?"

"Mrs. Wade, please." Quinn said as she stood. She walked over to Santana and kneeled down as well. Her hand ran through Ana's thick, unruly curls before she faced Santana. "Ignore her, she's really upset. Picture day is in less than a week and her son has a black eye."

Santana looked at her daughter. "Did you do that?" Ana nodded, her head hung in shame. "Why Santanita? You know you don't solve problems with hitting."

"I had to defend her." All three of them looked at Beth who was silently crying. Santana suspected the little girl had never been in so much trouble and was terrified.

"Someone want to tell me what happened? Why the hell is my daughter outside of the principal's office. I didn't think we'd have to deal with this until she was at least fourteen, but having your genes I should have lowered my expectations huh?" Amber stormed up to them out the blue and Ana's face went pale. Amber had no tolerance when it came to the little girl getting in trouble at school.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Santana!" Quinn chastised.

"No, she isn't going to come in here disrespecting me like that!"

"I shouldn't have received a phone call saying my daughter was in a fight!"

"Amber..." Quinn started.

"No! You stay the hell out of this!" Quinn had only caught a few glimpses of "Crazy Amber" as Santana liked to call her, but this was full on insanity. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that one." Amber pointed to Beth.

"Don't you blame Beth, you don't even know what happened!" Santana shouted.

"This is all your fault!" Ignoring Santana, Amber glared at Quinn.

"My fault?"

"You and your daughter, Ana and she spend way too much time together and that's coming to a stop this instant. She's obviously a bad influence on our child and I won't have it anymore."

"No!" Ana yelled. "Mama, nothing can ever keep me away from Bethany, not even you! You listen, if anyone and I mean anyone, anywhere, anytime messes with or hurts Beth, they'll have to deal with me! I'll _never _let anyone hurt her! No matter how much trouble I get in." Ana pushed past Quinn to wrap her arms around Beth who was still crying, a little bit harder now. Just then the principal's assistant came out of the office.

"Has everyone arrived?" The shocked adults only nodded. "Good, follow me please."

* * *

The meeting went better than expected and the three adults and two children went to Olive Garden to eat and have a much-needed talk. Ana explained to her principal in detail how the little boy, Bill, had teased Beth and made her cry. When Ana had come to her aid and told Bill to get lost, the little boy only antagonized them both further. Beth found the courage to tell him to shut up and he shoved her. Ana told everyone in the room that she couldn't control herself when she saw her best friend get pushed down in the middle of the school yard, so she punched him in the face. She also informed everyone that she would do it again if need be and if that meant she was grounded or whatever, she didn't care. All that mattered to her at the time was that Beth wasn't happy and she wasn't safe, she needed to be protected and Ana claimed it was her job. A light chuckle left the principal's mouth after her impassioned speech, then he allowed the other two students to give their account of the events. They all said the same thing and Bill admitted her only bugged Beth because he was jealous she wouldn't be his friend. Beth had declined his friendship earlier that week stating she already had the best friend anyone could ever want, not realizing she hurt his feelings. Beth sincerely apologized and gave him a hug, telling him they could be friends but only if it was okay with Ana. Reluctantly, Ana agreed they could _all _be friends and that he had to be extra nice to them and do whatever they say for two weeks as penance. The little boy quickly agreed with a huge smile. The matter was resolved and they little boy and his mother went on their way. Unfortunately all three of them were suspended one day from school.

"So Beth, Ana, you two understand that violence is never the answer, right?" Santana asked. She reached over to wipe sauce off of Beth's face as the two girl's nodded.

"And Santana you realize it's not okay to tell the mother of your child to shut the F up, right?" Amber teased.

"Yes." Santana said through her teeth and Quinn tried to cover up her chuckling with a fake cough.

"Mommy, what about if I have to defend myself."

"That's okay, you should defend yourself but instigating things or hitting for no reason is not acceptable."

"What does instigating mean?" Ana asked.

"Chew with your mouth closed and do _not _talk with your mouth full." Quinn admonished from her side of the table. Ana quickly shut her mouth and chewed her food.

"It means to start something up or make it worse when it's already started, like you did today."

"What do you think you could have done better?" Amber asked.

Ana glanced at Quinn as she chewed her food and swallowed before responding to her mom. "I should have taken Beth some place safe or went to find an adult."

"Correct. Quinn, Santana, I'm very sorry I lost my cool back there. I know Beth is a great kid and you're a great mom." She looked at Santana. "Both of you are. But there's no denying this is your kid." Amber laughed at the sheepish look on both Santana and Ana's face.

"Well I accept your apology." Quinn stated.

"Yeah me too." Santana mumbled.

"Was Santana a misbehaved child?"

"Misbehaved? She was a devil!"

"Hey!" Santana felt very offended even though it was very true, she was quite the hot head as an adolescence.

"Mommy was bad?" Ana wondered, her plate of food all but forgotten.

"Your mom was loco." Amber laughed but stopped when she felt Santana's foot connect with her shin.

"Tell me more." Quinn said, way too excitedly for Santana's liking.

The rest of the evening Santana endured story after embarrassing story of her antics when she was much younger and far less mature. Amber was going to come over to spend some more time with Ana but her fiancé called with some ridiculous craving so she had to leave. Quinn and Beth agreed to spend the night over Santana's since neither girl had school the following day. Santana informed them that they would help her clean the house tomorrow from top to bottom. That didn't go over too well but she just sent them up to Ana's room.

"Where's Gabby? Haven't seen her in a while." In over two months since their break up, Santana neglected to tell Quinn about it. If someone asked her why, she wouldn't have an answer.

"Oh, uh, we kinda broke up."

"What? Why?"

"She, uh..." This was much harder than she anticipated. "She asked me to marry her and I didn't say yes. She decided that was the end."

"I'm so sorry Santana. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Aw, I didn't want to trouble you with my sad love life."

"Santana, I'm your friend. You're no trouble at all."

_I will be if you keep looking at me like that. Damn this woman is sexy._ "Thanks Quinn, I'll keep that in mind."

"I have something that might make you feel better."

"What's that?"

"Eagles tickets for this Sunday against Dallas. I already asked Amber if she'd take the girls, she said sure so... what do you say?"

"What do I say?!" Santana jumped on Quinn who was sat in the same recliner she always sat in. Santana had her arms tightly wrapped around Quinn's neck while Quinn's were around her waist. Realizing their proximity was less than appropriate, Santana tried to pull away. Quinn, however, held tight.

"Happy?" She asked with a wide smile.

"Yes, very." Santana unconsciously leaned forward, but right as she did she heard two sets of little foot steps coming down the stairs. She quickly got off Quinn and turned to face two of the most important people in her life. When the girl's asked for ice cream, she faced Quinn. The blonde, who loves ice cream as much as their six-year olds, gave her a look that said it was okay. As they enjoyed the last of Santana's cookies and crème, she looked around the table at _three _of the most important people in her world.

* * *

**So I have no clue when I'll be able to update so I can't give you guys a time frame. For that I'm sorry. It's annoying, I know but poop happens right? In the next coming months, I'll definitely only be able to update sparingly, however I'm not abandoning any of my stories. Big things to come for this story and I can't wait to share them with you. Thanks for the love you guys. It's flattering and quite humbling. **

**Thoughts on the chapter?**

**-Management**


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